The Nightingale
by RosieB
Summary: How a powerful demon and a human girl that he buys for her golden voice come to save each other. Serial for the Dokuga LJ comm's weekly contests.
1. The Singer

A/N: The beginning of a new, AU serial that will be called _The Nightingale _for Dokuga's LJ comm. This is for the 'Snap' theme - 100 words, no more no less. Originally posted on June 20, 2009.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration. I don't anticipate this becoming adult-rated at any point, in case you're wondering by the end. :)

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**The Singer**

She was plain compared to the ethereal females that floated around his court, but when she opened her mouth to sing, she became resplendent. Something broke within him as he listened - a weight snapped away from where it had been pressing onto his heart. He knew its pressure would return, and even as she took a breath, it hurt.

There was the anticipated scuffle of bidders behind him, but the other males fell away as the taiyoukai approached the slave trader. "The girl," Sesshoumaru said. "The singer."

"Lovely, isn't she, my lord?"

He bent his head in agreement. "How much?"

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	2. Incentive

A/N: For the 'Fresh' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on June 27, 2009.

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**Incentive**

They met properly in his private dining room that overlooked the orchid garden and down to the seaside cliffs. He held a cup of sake as his eyes swept over her. "Do you understand everything I require of you?" he asked.

"Yes, my lord," she replied icily.

"And I have not forgotten your unique talent," Sesshoumaru said, ignoring her glare and remembering her gilded voice. "Unique talents garner special privileges."

She lifted her head from where she knelt over the tatami mats. "Such as, my lord?"

He put his drink aside and watched her traitorous gaze linger on his laden table. "Behave with decorum and sing upon my command, and you will want for little."

"Except freedom," she replied, meeting his eyes again. "I will still be your caged bird, _my lord_."

"You will soon understand what a favorable position it is that you hold." He plucked a large, rosy peach from the bowl in front of him and held it out to her, his eyebrow raised. "Tell me. Have you eaten since arriving?"

He could see her pride falter. "I am not hungry," she replied at last.

"It's food. A necessity for sustaining your human life. Who are you trying to impress with your rebellion? You are a slave in this house whether you eat a fresh peach or thin broth like the others. The only thing you risk is my good grace," he said. He could see how she swallowed, her pupils dilating. "Now. Are you sure you're not hungry?"

Her fingertips crept forward along the mat. The tip of her tongue appeared in the corner of her mouth an instant before she darted forward, snatching the fruit from his claws. She bit into it, her eyes drifting shut as juice dripped down her chin.

"I thought so."

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	3. Ephemeral

A/N: For the 'Linger' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on July 7, 2009. It won 2nd place. :)

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**Ephemeral**

She sat in the garden, under the moonlight, and let her toes dip into the pond. The koi breached the glassy surface of the water and created slow ripples with their florescent orange and glossy black fins.

"Why are you not in your room?"

She glanced up at the demon lord that had materialized at the opposite edge of the water. "The ladies of your court keeping stopping by to ask for singing lessons, my lord," she replied. "The music master tells them that he cannot teach them, so they come to me instead."

He nodded. "It is the price of your successful debut."

"No. It is the price of having your attention, my lord," she replied.

Sesshoumaru considered her for a moment. "And yet, I believe you are the only one in this castle that has no wish for it."

"That's probably true, my lord."

"Do you still believe that refusing my favor will set you free?" He raised an eyebrow at her silence. "Or perhaps you fear that I will tire of you?"

She shook her head. "I am not refusing your favor, my lord," she answered. "You have given me gifts greater than any household servant should have, much less a lowly slave. A private room. Fine food. Beautiful clothing." She pulled her feet from the pond abruptly, scattering the koi as she stood. The blue, silk kimono she had been wearing for her appearance in court that night fell back to her ankles, creased from where she had carelessly bunched it. "But you will tire of me, my lord. I will never get so comfortable as to forget that your attention is only mine to lose."

He didn't answer, and she slipped on her lacquered geta which were already scuffed. "I can do little else besides sing, my lord," she said. "If you do tire of me, will you let me go free?"

Sesshoumaru gazed back at her. "Sing for me now."

She didn't hesitate. Her voice was soft but clear as she sang of vast oceans, dark forests and snowy mountains, all so beautiful that he wanted to run and see if he could discover those wondrous places for himself. He didn't realize that his eyes had closed until the last note lingered in the night air. When he opened them, she was looking at him with expectation. "Only when I tire of you," he agreed.

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	4. Jubilee

A/N: For the 'Bang' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on July 12, 2009.

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**Jubilee**

He hated these gatherings - these forced fetes where he had to pretend that he cared about the passing of another year, the start of the harvest, a happy couple or a squalling newborn. Attending them was one of his duties as lord, but his most loathed one. He would rather be living in dirt and solitude at the edge of his lands, patrolling and slicing apart any demon that dared cross him.

The first firework sailed up into the air and exploded into a chrysanthemum pattern with a loud bang. There was a gasp at his elbow and he turned to see the newest addition to his entourage with her hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and shining with the red burst of the pyrotechnics. "Impressed?" he asked.

"I'd only heard of these," she whispered. She didn't look at him, but he could feel her scrutiny. "Aren't _you_ impressed, my lord?"

He glanced around. The other adults acted much like him - bored with the sight they had seen so many times. Only the little ones stared up at the heavens like she did. He suddenly remembered his childhood awe of seeing fire in the sky. "On occasion."

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	5. Harmony

A/N: For the 'Clear' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on July 20, 2009.

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**Harmony**

She decided that she was lonely. She was a human and a slave in a court full of highly trained, demon servants and courtiers. Once it was clear that her short life had no thrilling stories and she had no magic to transfer her angelic voice to the throats of the court females, she had lost her value for the inhabitants. It was worse than outright mistreatment - she was ignored.

She stepped out of her room and onto the covered walkway that ran along the back of the palace. The morning sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight was reaching into every corner of the garden to banish the shadows. Sesshoumaru was in the garden, as he usually was on these beautiful days, and a gaggle of silk-swathed demons followed. She could hear their simpering from across the flower beds.

"My lord, my lord, your armies have secured their victory thanks to your leadership!"

"My lord, my lord, I believe your crops will be the most plentiful of all the kingdoms!"

"My lord, my lord, can you believe that wolf thought his daughter good enough for your mate?"

Sesshoumaru and his followers wandered towards where she stood, and she bowed deeply as he approached. He surprised her by pausing. "Will you sing tonight after dinner?"

His shoulders were slumping slightly and his voice was thin. She nodded and bowed again. "And before dinner as well, if my lord wishes."

His eyes brightened and his chest broadened. "That would be a welcome interlude," he agreed, before continuing on his path.

She watched as his frame drooped once more as he was plied with questions and flattery. A thought struck her, shaking her carefully constructed beliefs about the dispassionate, unyielding demon to the core. She hadn't realized.

Maybe he was lonely, too.

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	6. Prize

A/N: For the 'Green' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on July 24, 2009. It won a joint 3rd place. :)

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**Prize**

He watched as his newest guests, delighted by the novelty of her and her voice, offered to escort her to dinner. He heard her soft refusals - she was a slave, and they were honoring her too highly by inviting her to sit beside them for even one meal, even after such a concert.

He gave her all the reward she required. More than enough, if her protestations were to be believed. But she smiled so easily at those males. She let their touches linger on her shoulders and her waist. He couldn't help but turn a bit green with envy.

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	7. Escape

A/N: For the 'Break' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 2, 2009. It won third place! :)

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**Escape**

_She had made a break for it._

The words were whispered to him in the middle of an important conference with other demon lords, but he had still surged to his feet, stopping the old crow youkai mid-sentence. An early lunch had been declared without apologies, and he left.

"Where is she?" he demanded as soon as he stepped inside the guard house at the edge of his property. It was unusually warm for the time of day, and the place smelled of sweat and of her jasmine perfume. He was led to the windowless second room that normally held poachers or, at most, scouts found spying at his borders.

She was small and crumpled in the corner of the room. He cut the bindings on her hands with a flick of his claws when she lifted them to him. "You tried to run," he said. "You should have known you would be caught in an instant."

She remained silent, rubbing at her wrists, and he crouched down beside her. "I have given you everything you require. I have given you everything that you could possibly want. Why would you insult me by trying to run?"

Her bright, defiant eyes turned to him. "I didn't!" she snapped, and he noticed her voice was hoarse.

"I was occupied. Your temper tantrum brought me out of trade discussions with the other..."

"I didn't _run_," she cut in. "I didn't mean to insult you, and I didn't run. I just wandered too far! Those guards you send with me everywhere weren't paying attention, and suddenly, they were chasing after me and yelling. I ran from _them_." She paused and lowered her gaze. "Not from you."

He turned from her, unsure of whether the shock of hearing her words had revealed the relief on his face. "I will take you back to the house, and you will rest your voice for the night. I will have female servants accompany you into the farther gardens from now on."

Her sob echoed loudly in the tiny room, and he looked back to see her sodden with tears. "What is wrong now?" he demanded. "You are not being punished."

"It's not that," she cried. Her yukata was becoming hopelessly stained with salt water. "I just realized, I was all the way out there..."

He waited. "Yes?"

"And I didn't even try to run," she finished, weeping into her hands.

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	8. Hush

A/N: For the 'Mingle' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 10, 2009.

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**Hush**

A human delegation arrived at the palace, and he wasn't surprised to find her mingling with their servants in one of the inner courtyards the next morning. Her beautiful voice was lost among the servants' squawking as they sang a tune together, but she was laughing again, and her cheeks were flush with happiness.

"What is it like to be Lord Sesshoumaru's slave?" came the inevitable question.

Her glowing skin dimmed a little. "It's fine," she replied with a shy smile. "He treats me well."

"And he only wants you to sing?" asked another, leaning forward with a suggestive lift of his eyebrow. The insolence demanded punishment, but Sesshoumaru pressed himself deeper into the shadows, not revealing his presence for want of her answer. His claws buried themselves into the wooden wall at his back.

"Of course!" she exclaimed. "He isn't cruel. He would never hurt me!" Her conviction cooled his blood, but it was only momentary.

"Demons don't care about anything but power," said one. "Least of all, some temporary amusement."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I did think that, but..."

"Does he even know your name?" interrupted another.

Sesshoumaru watched her blush from embarrassment instead of joy. "I don't know," she admitted.

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	9. Unworthy

A/N: With this post, I'm all caught up with the contests running on the LJ, meaning this story will only be updated about once a week. I'll be aiming for Friday updates.

For the 'Wall' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 17, 2009.

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**Unworthy**

"Why aren't there more hanyou in the world?" she asked.

"Hanyou?" He glanced around the crowded throne room to make sure no one else had heard, and once satisfied, he lowered his voice. "Why do you ask?"

She bit her lip, and he knew she was remembering the whispers of the humans that had visited a week before. She had been very quiet since they had imparted their doubts and fears to her about living with demons, especially one as fearsome as the Lord of the West. "It seems that our two kinds move together frequently. I would expect more hanyou to be born."

He ran his tongue along the edge of his teeth. "The simple answer is that most demons do not see humans as worthy mates. They will only weaken the stronger demon blood of the children. Also, the nature of humans and demons can be too different to overcome."

"They're not meant to live together," she ventured, arching an eyebrow.

"Most believe that. However, the kami did put us on the same earth together," he said slowly. A number of familiar, but unwelcome, faces came to his mind. "And I have known demons who were very happy with their human mates and hanyou children."

"And what do you believe, my lord?"

He set his jaw. "I believe that there is a wall between us that is not meant to be ruptured. It is unnatural."

She let out a breath that sounded like one of relief, although there was an uncertain quirk to her lips. "I agree, my lord. It seems cruel."

"Cruel?"

She nodded. "To the hanyou children. It must be difficult not knowing what world you belong to. They stand on that wall alone. We can only sympathize."

He glanced at her. "You can," he said.

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	10. Threat

A/N: For the 'Worse' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 20, 2009. It won second place! :D

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**Threat**

The parchment lay unraveled before him, but the messenger's words were drowned out by the rushing of blood in his ears.

"There is no danger to us," Sesshoumaru said at last.

"None, except to one of your household. This clan consumes human flesh."

He nodded. She would resent him for what he had to do to protect her. Their fragile relationship couldn't take much more abuse, but the thought of the alternative solidified his resolve. "I will take care of it," he murmured, handing the parchment back with his seal at the bottom. "Naraku and the spider youkai may come."

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	11. Secret

A/N: For the 'Silhouette' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a _minimum_ of 500 words. This one is 1707 words.

I will be doing these one-shots far less frequently than the drabbles, but you can look for them every once in awhile. ;)

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 28, 2009. It won second place! :D

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**Secret**

There was no whisper, no light in the hallway, just as he had planned. For her to remain a secret, to remain hidden from Naraku and the hordes of spider demons he had brought with him for his visit to the Western Lands, she had to be more than just protected. She had to be invisible. Spider demons were known for their unrelenting desire for humans to feast upon, and he would not let such a rare creature with such a wondrous voice to become dinner for some mere drudge of Naraku's. So, during his stay her voice would not be ringing out in the grand throne room, but at least he had these moments to steal to visit her. To have her singing for him alone was, in some ways, so much better.

He settled down in what was becoming his customary seat in the empty corridor and sighed, staring at the blank rice paper wall in front of him. Gathering his legs in front of him, he draped an arm over his knee and cleared his throat. "Are you still awake?"

There was a shift of fabric and a soft breath. "Yes," came the sleepy reply. She coughed and answered again, properly, "Yes, my lord."

"Are you doing well?" he asked as she moved across the floor, towards the wall that separated them. Neither of them moved to slide open the door. "Do you have everything that you need?"

"Yes, my lord," she replied. "But I wish I could leave this room."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Naraku and his retinue plan to leave in two days' time. I will not be asking them to extend their visit."

"I hear people out in the garden sometimes," she said, her voice cautious. "They say that the spider demons have cast a spell over the castle. They say there's a dark and ominous cloud over us and that they will not leave until they devour everything."

He scoffed lightly. "That is the feeling that spiders create in every place they inhabit. You should not listen to such idle prattle."

"I don't have much else to listen to, my lord," she muttered.

"That means that the wards are holding," he said. "Things would grow very interesting, very quickly if you trespassed beyond the walls of this room and broke the magic. The spiders would sense you immediately."

There was a rustle, and he imagined her moving a few more inches away from the invisible barrier, sealed by spells by the most powerful human monks that Sesshoumaru could find on such short notice. "But, for now," he continued, "they do not even know a human girl resides in my palace."

"I'm sure that's not true," she said. "Servants talk, my lord, far more than you are aware. Someone has said something."

"They do not know _where_ you are, then," he amended.

"Perhaps." A light sigh came from the room. "So," she continued after a moment, "shall I sing for you, my lord?"

He surprised himself by shaking his head. "No, not tonight. It is too late," he said. So late that it was too early - he could sense the warmth of the sun rising already.

"Oh." There was a long pause. "What _do_ you want, my lord?"

"A moment of peace," he muttered. When she remained silent again, he realized the implication of his words. "A moment of peace from my court and my responsibilities. A normal conversation that does not include troop movements or trade negotiations or undue flattery."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Only _undue_ flattery, my lord?"

And he almost smiled in return. "I am not so self-sacrificing as to give up honest praise," he rejoined. "You can tell me when you first discovered your gift."

"It's not a very interesting story, my lord. I don't remember a time I didn't sing," she replied. "My mother says that my voice was the last thing my father heard in this world, but I don't recall that day very well. He died soon after my younger brother was born. After that, I sang all the time."

"A youkai attack killed him?"

"Nothing so terrifying," she murmured. "He fell ill and left us the same winter so many other villagers died. We lived with my grandfather after that. I sang for travelers when we weren't working in the fields." Her voice caught. "I worry about how my family fares now that I am gone. They depended upon the few coins I earned."

Sesshoumaru frowned at the wall, imagining the mournful expression she must have had at that moment. It made him uneasy. "Who took you?"

There was an impatient scrape of silk against tatami mats. "A human. He heard me singing and, when my grandfather refused to sell me, he stole me instead. He sold me for two bottles of sake and a length of poor silk to a brothel owner." She sniffed. "I was fortunate. The other girl he had taken was prettier and stayed in the brothel, but I was immediately given away to pay off the brothel's debts to a wealthy merchant. It was him that sold me to the youkai trader that you met."

"Why did the merchant not keep you?" he asked.

"I sobbed so heavily that I grew hoarse and could not sing. I was costing him more money than I was worth," she replied. She was quietly crying even as she spoke. Every word sounded wet as her tears dripped onto her lips.

The comforting words that rose in his throat were so foreign that he had trouble pressing them down again. He was still her captor, after all. "I thought you might have had formal training," he said.

There was a pause as she composed herself for his awkward attempt to shift the conversation to safer topics. "No, my lord," she murmured. "My mother always said that I was fortunate and that most people never know their gift. I discovered mine before I can even remember."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It is fortunate," he agreed.

"Do you have one?" she asked, perhaps as eager to forget her story as he was. "Something that no one had to teach you?"

"All of my talents were learned through work and discipline," he replied, "but I am far more skilled in them than most. My gift is with the sword and my claws."

She hesitated. "That _is_ a gift in these times," she said, sounding unsure. "It is too bad though."

"What is?"

"I think you would have made a fine singer," she said, and he was glad to hear a small measure of amusement in her tone again.

He cocked his head. "Would I?" he murmured.

"You have a warm voice, my lord. You should try it."

"A dog singing to a nightingale," he replied with a smirk. "I doubt your confidence."

"I do not," she said. "I would trust you if you said I could wield a sword with grace, my lord."

The sun had started to rise, piercing the thin, rice paper walls with its rays and lighting up her room. An yellow glow surrounded her silhouette, marking out her profile in hazy gray. "Yes, you should," he said, as he watched her sitting back on her heels. "And I will extend the same courtesy to you, Kagome."

She froze for a moment in surprise and, although unaware that he could see her, she bowed her head. "Thank you, my lord," she said, her lips moving into a broad smile that he could hear as well.

He knew that she was remembering the accusation leveled by the humans that had visited a few weeks before - that he did not even know the name of his favored slave - but he did not mention it. He had been eavesdropping on servants - a most undignified act for a demon of his stature. But she should know that they could not have been more wrong. He had known her name from the beginning. He would have known it, even if he had never heard it spoken aloud. Kagome - a name from a child's song about a caged bird hunted by demons. It was too fitting.

She was yawning, and something was tingling at the periphery of his senses that told him to move, despite his desire to stay for the rest of the morning. "You should sleep," he said, getting to his feet. "I woke you too early."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you," she said again, sleepy but pleased.

He promised that he would return soon and made his way down the corridor once more, but the door slid open before he could make a quiet escape. "Naraku," said the taiyoukai, greeting the unwelcome visitor with a glare. "You are not permitted in this wing."

The spider demon's blood-red gaze floated over Sesshoumaru's shoulder to the shadow at the end of the hall that had taken just a second too long to still. "Forgive me, Lord Sesshoumaru," he replied smoothly. "I lost my way in your grand home."

"I will personally accompany you back to your quarters, if you wish."

"Oh, I will find it on my own," Naraku said. He stared at his host, a smile spreading across his face. "Hiding a surprise somewhere, are we? For tonight's entertainment perhaps?"

"You will certainly be surprised if you try to reenter this wing again," said the taiyoukai, moving forward and crowding out the spider youkai before snapping the door closed behind him. "And I, at least, will be very entertained by the results." He straightened and pulled the best blank look that he possessed. "Was there something else I could do for you?"

"I think you've given me quite enough to chew upon," Naraku replied, showing his fangs. "I bid you a good morning, Lord Sesshoumaru."

He slid away without hurry or hesitance in his pace as Sesshoumaru stood firm in his place. Whoever had revealed the location of the human girl to the spiders would have to be searched out and thrown from his home. He would not tolerate betrayal, any more than he would tolerate threats against him and his possessions.

It appeared, the dog demon thought, that Kagome had a very real demon hunting her.

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A/N: For those of you who haven't heard it a million times, there's a Japanese children's game called "Kagome, Kagome". It's kind of like a cross between "Duck, Duck, Goose" and tag. The person that is "it" is supposed to be a monster. This is the song in English:

_Kagome, Kagome, the bird in the cage,  
when will you come out?  
In the evening of the dawn,  
the crane and turtle slipped.  
Who stands right behind you now?_

And yes, Naraku will be back. :)


	12. Gossip

A/N: For the 'Curl' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on August 31, 2009. It won third place! :)

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**Gossip**

He moved her immediately. If Naraku knew where Kagome was hidden, then Kagome couldn't be hidden there any longer. She protested, as she often did, pointing out that the wards of her room were still holding and that he was far too busy to care for his slave girl once more. He _did_ have other things to do, but he would not entrust her to the sole care of anyone of inferior birth - which, of course, was everyone.

"He'll know that I'm here, too," she said, standing in the middle of the room as he checked every corner for spider youkai.

"Precisely. If he must know, then everyone must know," Sesshoumaru replied. "Every demon will now guard you. In particular, I will personally ensure your safety, as you are to remain with me at all times."

She blushed. "But this is _your_ bedroom, my lord."

"'At all times' includes nighttime," he said. "I do not sleep much, so there is no inconvenience."

"But everyone will think that you've taken a human slave into your bed. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Your concern is misplaced. My courtiers are demons," he said. "They don't rely on their eyes but on their sense of smell for such things, and it will reveal the truth." He tapped the side of his nose with a claw.

She frowned thoughtfully and sank down onto the futon that had been prepared. "They will still talk, my lord," she said.

"Likely," he said. "They already do."

She blinked sleepily at him, the curl of her lashes fluttering against the apples of her cheeks. "Why, my lord?"

He leaned back against the wall, so similar to their pose just a few hours earlier, but without the barrier between them. He sighed. "They think that I am turning into my father."

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	13. Honest

A/N: For the 'Wrist' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on September 7, 2009.

And... I keep forgetting to say this, but "The Nightingale" tied for 3rd Place for the IYFG's 2nd Quarter in the Best Short-Short category. Yay! :D Thank you so much!

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**Honest**

His face was blank. His voice never varied in tone or speed as he told her the story of his father, of his mother and of the human woman that had come between them. There were only the smallest clues - he spoke of his father with careful neutrality, not betraying the disgust any son would feel at such actions against his mother, but giving his ancestor his due respect. He sprinkled the comments about his mother with seemingly benign words like "fortitude", "poise" and "capable" that revealed his continued admiration. He did not even utter the human princess's name.

She was an excellent audience. After singing in front of so many, it was probably inherent that she would know how to react to each piece of the story - gasping softly, shedding a few tears and shaking her head on cue. He spoke more freely with her careful listening and occasional, sympathetic nods. When he finished, her question was calm and unassuming. "Where is your half-brother now?"

"I do not know. His mother died some time ago."

"And you don't help him?" she asked. Her eyes betrayed her thoughts - they flickered over the few possessions on display in his room, each one able to ease an entire village's hunger or a hanyou brother's hard life.

"I have no responsibility towards him," he replied.

She was silent for a few minutes and then edged closer to him, her fingertips grazing his wrist. "You didn't have to tell me all that," she said, although she sounded grateful. He wasn't certain why.

"If I had not, you would have heard the story from others," he said, looking down at where she was touching him of her own accord. "They twist it so much as to be unrecognizable."

"I don't think they would recognize the truth," she said with a shrug. "Your embarrassment at the whole thing prevents them from knowing it."

Anger flared within him. "I am not..." He stopped when she glanced up at him with wide eyes. Her fingers were still brushing against his skin. She hadn't meant to be impertinent for once. He took a breath. "You suggest that I tell them the truth?"

His initial reaction had shaken her confidence. She retreated to the futon - still close by, but out of reach. "I wouldn't turn my back on my family," she murmured, "whether they were dead or alive."

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	14. Dissolve

A/N: For the 'Tart' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on September 11, 2009.

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**Dissolve**

Naraku and his entourage left without incident, which was disconcerting. He had expected more trouble. Sesshoumaru stood at his front gate, watching, until they faded into the distance. "Sweep the entire castle," he said to the guards that flanked him. "Make sure they didn't leave anything - or anyone - behind."

They dispersed, and he turned back to find Kagome sitting on the top step of the front entrance. "Where do I go now?" she asked, her tone a bit tart. She was still annoyed at his unrepentant dismissal of Inuyasha from his life. He wasn't accustomed to such a soft heart as hers.

"You may return to your room," he replied. "I will soon set out for the annual patrol of my lands, so I will not require your company for some time."

"Would you prefer it?"

He paused on the step. "Naturally, but it is rough living."

"I'll come," she said. "But I'd like to meet your brother in exchange."

"You are a _slave_. Your attempt at bargaining is futile."

"I never forget that, my lord," she murmured. "Please?"

He looked down, into her bright eyes, and found his resolve ebbing away. "Perhaps. If we can find him."

-----------------------------------


	15. Lacquer

A/N: For the 'Black' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on September 21, 2009.

-----------------------------------

**Lacquer**

He appeared in her doorway precisely on time, but she was still packing. "I'm almost finished, my lord," she promised from the corner where she was digging through the small, wooden chest that held all of her worldly possessions.

Stepping into the room, he cast an eye over the bundle in the middle of the floor. "The servants have provided everything we will need for the journey," he said. "There is no need to bring more than a change of clothing."

"I was going to bring two. Is it too many?" she asked, pausing her movements.

He shrugged. "There is space for anything that you want," he replied.

She stood and laid a pair of black, lacquered combs on top of the small pile. "I don't have that much," she laughed.

He reached down and tapped the combs with his claw. They were plain and poorly worked in his eyes - just one of the many accessories that had been brought to her so that she could look presentable in front of the court while singing - but she seemed to have a special affinity for their smooth surfaces. "Why are you bringing such ornamentation?"

She blinked at him and lifted the corner of one yukata to reveal a silk kimono underneath it. "We are meeting your half-brother, aren't we?" she asked.

"This is for him?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even. "Inuyasha does not care about finery. He is an uncivilized beast."

"But you are not, my lord," she said. "I only wanted to represent _you_ adequately."

He swallowed, instantly feeling like a fool. Perhaps bringing her along on this expedition was not so wise. "You will represent me well, regardless of what you wear," he murmured, earning himself a small smile and blush.

Perhaps better than I deserve, he added silently.

-----------------------------------


	16. Free

A/N: For the 'Wild' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on September 28, 2009.

-----------------------------------

**Free**

Stepping out of the castle walls was a relief, but terrifying as well. His entourage was small. Secrets could be kept. Out here he could speak and act as he pleased, and therein was the danger, because she was here.

He cursed his father's blood - the cause of it all. Why else would she have such power over him? She was just a human girl with one remarkable skill and little else. He was a demon lord with so many gifts.

But if he could shed that nobility out here in the wild, he had to wonder what she would become.

-----------------------------------


	17. Nourish

A/N: For the 'Quirk' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Vaguely inspired by the adorable fic by Tally Mark called "Frivolous Sentimentalities" - 'vaguely' because that fic is awesomesauce. You should read that instead. ;P

Originally posted on October 5, 2009.

-----------------------------------

**Nourish**

She managed to choke down two of Jaken's meals before she handily relieved him of cooking duties. He saw that the two-headed dragon appreciated it, and the imp eventually stopped sulking. Sesshoumaru began hunting with more gusto.

On the fourth night, she said suddenly, "You've been even quieter than usual, my lord. Am I doing something wrong? Do demons have different tastes?"

His brow arched. Her food was plain but satisfying - good peasants' food. And here preparations were even better - she sang as she worked. Her voice sounded sweeter when it was offered freely. Of course he had kept silent.

Kagome gestured to the boar at her feet. "It's just much bigger than fish or pheasant. You keep bringing me game that is more and more difficult to cook in just one evening. I _can_, but it'll take awhile. I'm wondering if you're trying to discourage me."

"We have similar dietary needs." He paused. "Your skills are far superior to Jaken's. It is unusual, but welcome, to have such variety on these journeys."

"Oh!" She smiled. "Just no venison, please."

"Agreed." He put his hand in his sleeve and drew out some white-capped mushrooms. "I also found these."

Her fingers hovered over his gift. "Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm afraid these are poisonous."

He shook his head. "Impossible. I have eaten these many times before with no ill effects."

The corner of her mouth quirked upwards. "These are poisonous to _me_," she amended with a laugh. "I suppose our 'dietary needs' are a _bit_ different. Do you want me to cook them for you though?"

"No," he answered, casting them aside immediately. "You will not touch them."

"Don't worry," she said, giving him a casual shrug. "We'll figure all of this stuff out eventually."

Soon, her voice rang out as she worked.

-----------------------------------


	18. Precipice

A/N: For the 'Stairs' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on October 12, 2009. It won second place! :D

-----------------------------------

**Precipice**

They stopped at the place where two rivers joined beneath the yellowed cliffs of limestone just before sunset. Sesshoumaru beckoned to her as Jaken began to prepare the camp. "Come."

She followed him up the smooth, stone stairway that someone, long ago, had cut into the side of the rock face. The wind drowned out the sound of the rivers' gurgling beneath them, and Sesshoumaru stood for some time in silence, gazing out over the dark forests. "We are at the border of the West's holdings. The bear youkai claim this," he said, gesturing to the other bank, "but it will soon be mine."

"Why, my lord?" She tried not to flinch at his sharp look. "Your lands seem so vast, and I have seen that you don't enjoy the size of your court as it is."

"Enjoying something is different than needing it," he said at last. "You must understand that."

She had never seen surrender in his features before, but meeting his eyes, she knew what it meant. He was suddenly so very close to her, and his lips were warm against hers. His claws skimmed up the back of her neck, making her shudder under his touch. She sank into him for a moment, daring to lift her hand to brush the line of his jaw, before she pulled away. "Don't," she whispered, still close enough to breath in his scent. "Please, don't make me do this, my lord."

"You will be well taken care of," he murmured.

"I already am," Kagome answered. "I accept that I am your slave, and I know that if you so choose it, I must submit. But, please. This isn't my purpose."

He drew back, his fingers still in the hair at the nape of her neck. "I would have you willing," he said. "It is what I _need_."

She shook her head. "Even so, you would grow to think less of me." She paused. "And I of you. I couldn't bear it."

He studied her for a long moment before his hand dropped back to his side. "Go back to camp," he said, turning to watch the horizon again.

Kagome hesitated at the top of the steps. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she whispered. He didn't glance over, but she knew she held his attention. "Forgive me. I want your enjoyment, not only your need, of me."

His eyes widened as she descended.

-----------------------------------


	19. Understand

A/N: For the 'Patch' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on October 19, 2009. It won second place! :D

-----------------------------------

**Understand**

It took him almost a full day to digest it - she had _rejected_ him. The most beautiful and powerful females of his kingdom had willingly slipped into his bed, but this slave girl had refused such an honored place. It was almost crippling in its implications alone, but the truly terrifying part was that he actually understood her reasons. She wanted all of him - she could not take the simple, physical companionship that he had offered.

He did not _want_ to need her at all. He certainly did not want anything more to get her out of his mind - out of his blood. But the idea that she had put in his head - the idea of only belonging to and enjoying one other creature - was more enticing than he would like to admit. He understood why she would want it so badly. He was probably the one creature that understood it so well. He had to admit that perhaps it was not entirely her humanity that drove her to yearn for more than what was granted.

But understanding was not consent, and he was left to wonder if he could patch together what they had had before.

-----------------------------------


	20. Preemption

A/N: For the 'Bait' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on October 25, 2009. It won third place! :)

Also, like a twit, I forgot to say this last week but this story now has a fabulous piece of fanart by Animaker131 - http :// animaker131 .deviantart. com/art/ I-ll-sing-for-you-140525965 (remember to remove the spaces). Thank you, hon! :D

-----------------------------------

**Preemption**

Things were, not unexpectedly, quiet between them. Sesshoumaru seemed to have some measure of calmness about her refusal, but she was not fooling herself into believing that he was _happy_ about it. As the silence stretched on, however, it was too exhausting to analyze the inscrutable taiyoukai. She turned her thoughts to how - and if - they would find Inuyasha.

She hadn't imagined that he would find _them_ first.

"Where's that jackass brother of mine?" demanded the red-clad figure that materialized inside their camp. Jaken and Kagome stared.

"Hunting," she murmured.

His golden eyes narrowed. "Right. And you're the bait."

-----------------------------------


	21. Collide

A/N: For the 'Spank' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 2, 2009.

* * *

**Collide**

Perhaps it was all the years he had spent in Sesshoumaru's employ, but when faced with Inuyasha's anger, Jaken snapped into action. "Get out of here, half-breed!" he yelled. "How dare you invade Lord Sesshoumaru's private camp!"

Inuyasha's familiar, golden eyes flickered over to the frozen girl. "I get the toad, but why are you here?" he growled. "My damn brother is using you for bait, isn't he? He knew I'd come if I smelled a human."

Jaken lifted his green, forked hand and spanked Ah-Un's haunches. "Protect the girl, you worthless beast!" he ordered. As the dragon lumbered towards Kagome, the toad said to Inuyasha, "And you! You face me and no one else!" He brandished his twin-faced staff in the taller male's direction.

Kagome stepped out from behind Ah-Un, placing a placating hand on one head's snout. "Please, don't try to fight him, Jaken," she murmured. She looked to the hanyou. "And you don't have to save me, Inuyasha-sama. I'm happy to be with Lord Sesshoumaru. I don't think he would use me to lure you out, because he only came to talk with you. He isn't here to fight."

"Who _are_ you?" Inuyasha asked, narrowing his eyes.

"My name is Kagome," she answered.

"Congratulations for having a name," he muttered. "I meant, who are you to my jackass brother? He's never wanted anything to do with me before, and no one changes his mind."

She shook her head. "I couldn't change his mind either. I'm just a singer at his court."

He glanced around the bare campsite. "Yeah, I see that," he said.

Kagome took a breath. "I might have encouraged him to find you again," she admitted, "so please, don't fight when he comes back."

"That's up to the bastard," growled Inuyasha, drawing away from the fire again. His nose twitched. "And up to you, if you think you can stop him."

The words were barely out of his mouth before Sesshoumaru blew back into the clearing, his sword already drawn. Kagome's reflexes could not compare to the taiyoukai's - he had his brother pinned to a tree and his blade pressed against his throat in an instant.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

The dog demon paused, his red eyes turning to her.

She took a shuddering breath. "Please, don't. He didn't do anything, and you promised to _try_."

Sesshoumaru hesitated a moment. "Yes, I did," he ground out, releasing his brother.

* * *


	22. Weak

A/N: For the 'Crossroads' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 827 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 5, 2009. It won second place! :D

* * *

**Weak**

Kagome dithered at the edge of camp as the brothers eyed each other. Inuyasha was looking murderous and rubbing at his neck where Sesshoumaru's blade had pressed into it. Sesshoumaru seemed ready to make the cut deeper if given half the chance. She had no power over them - she couldn't make them talk or shake hands or even take a seat. Even if it hadn't been entirely explained in their awkward introductions, she was sure Inuyasha was aware of precisely what place she held in Sesshoumaru's entourage. And she wasn't going to push her luck with the taiyoukai either - convincing him not to kill his brother on sight was about her limit of influence.

With a sigh, she stepped into Sesshoumaru's field of vision and played her only remaining card. "Tea?"

Inuyasha hesitated only a moment. "Got anything decent?" he muttered.

"I would only have the best," Sesshoumaru answered for her, stepping back towards the fire and taking a seat at the base of the largest tree.

The brothers remained quiet and watchful as Kagome moved around the camp to heat the water and to prepare the tea. The lack of ceremony was embarrassing to her - she knew that the meeting between the estranged siblings should be conducted with the proper formalities, but she could do little about it in the middle of the forest. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, however. "Where did he find you?" he asked.

Kagome blinked, almost spilling the hot water. "Some distance from here," she murmured, glancing back at a sour-looking Sesshoumaru. "It's not really important."

"Yeah, I get it," the hanyou said, his voice rough with a growl. "He _owns_ you."

"I have many freedoms," Kagome mumbled.

Inuyasha clenched his jaw and looked down. "You sing?"

She nodded. "Often. I could sing now, if Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't oppose it," she suggested, crossing the camp to refill the taiyoukai's drained cup.

"I do oppose the idea," said the dog demon flatly. "This is not the time or the place."

Kagome was about to give a short bow of concession when Inuyasha spoke again. "Why not?" he questioned. His voice was soft, but the challenge was in his hard, golden eyes. "I think that if she brought any demons to us, we could kill them, don't you?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I would not need any help from you."

"So there's _really_ no problem, then, is there?" replied his brother as he crossed his arms.

Kagome watched the taiyoukai carefully, noticing how still he had gone and the ready bend to his claws. "Inuyasha-sama," she broke in, "I _am_ tired. I have been walking all day. My voice would not be at its peak. Perhaps tomorrow, when I have had the opportunity to rest?"

"Yeah, sure," muttered Inuyasha, keeping his eyes on the taiyoukai.

"And where would this concert take place?" growled Sesshoumaru. "In one of the trees you sleep in?"

An uncomfortable pause settled on the camp, but the blush that had started to work its way up the hanyou's cheeks disappeared in another instant. "If you think I'm going to rise to that, you got another thing coming," snarled Inuyasha, getting to his feet. "I have never asked for anything from you, and I'm not going to start. I don't care if I have to beg for every scrap of food until I die. I'm better off in the trees than in any house you could have given to me."

"Inuyasha-sama," began Kagome.

He turned to her. "I know someone," he interrupted. "She lives at the northern edge of the village nearby. She's a miko, so you'll be safe. If you want anything, go there. She'll get word to me." His jaw tightened as he glanced back at his elder half-brother, but said nothing else before turning away from the fire and disappearing into the shadows of the trees.

Kagome gritted her teeth and turned away to clear away the tea, not looking back when Sesshoumaru spoke her name. "Yes?" she replied shortly instead.

"You will look at me," he said, "and you will explain yourself."

"Only if you do the same," she retorted, drawing a shocked cry from Jaken.

Her wrist was suddenly wrapped in the taiyoukai's powerful fingers. "Think carefully of what you say to me," he growled, low enough for only her ears.

She was at a crossroads - scold the dog demon that she had already pushed to the edge and risk losing her life or back away. It was so easy to choose the coward's way out. She let her arm go limp. "I just didn't want this to end so soon. He clearly wants to try, Sesshoumaru-sama, no matter what he might say," she replied slowly.

Sesshoumaru released her, although the red marks from his fingers remained for several, long minutes. She looked down and rubbed at them as he gave his final word. "You will only sing at _my _command," he intoned.

"Yes, my lord," she promised hollowly.


	23. Fix

A/N: For the 'Glue' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 9, 2009. It won second place! :D

* * *

**Fix**

Sesshoumaru stood in the shadows and watched the humans begin to scurry around their village as dawn broke. Kagome was finally asleep back at camp. The reunion with Inuyasha could only have gone worse if one of them had bled, but it was the confrontation with Kagome afterward that had cut him deeply. She had folded so easily in the face of his anger, but the accusation in her eyes had been damning.

_No_, he corrected himself. _Not accusation. It was disappointment. _She had expected him to honor his promise, and he had started off by pressing a sword to his half-brother's throat when Inuyasha had approached the camp uninvited. And as satisfying as it had been to have Inuyasha's life in his hands, he had dishonored himself by not keeping his word. His honor was the glue of her faith in him.

Once again, he found himself bending his rules for her. It was his mantra that he only made temporary miscalculations - he was often praised for his infallibility. But mistakes seemed to abound ever since Kagome had come into his life. She ripped him open, exposing all the lies he told to himself. "I will try again," he murmured.


	24. Emissary

A/N: For the 'Fling' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 16, 2009.

* * *

**Emissary**

Kagome approached the hut on the end of the row with soft steps and an eye out for Inuyasha. It was the resident miko that appeared instead. "You're the singer that travels with Sesshoumaru," she murmured. "Kagome?"

She hadn't mentioned the words 'owned' or 'slave', and she gave the miko a broad smile in return. "Yes, Lady...?"

"Kikyo," she supplied. "Why don't you come in and have something to drink?"

She followed her back inside the house and sat on the wooden floor. "Do you know Lord Inuyasha well?"

Kikyo faltered in preparing the teapot. "He helps me protect the village from demons," she replied vaguely.

"He seems to think highly of you," offered Kagome, seeing the way the miko averted her eyes and the stain of color on her cheeks. "He could have flung any thought of me aside and fought Sesshoumaru-sama, but he suggested that I see you."

"The fact that you are here indicates that Sesshoumaru thinks highly of you, as well," said Kikyo. "Even if Inuyasha had tried to bring you here himself, his brother could have stopped him. Sesshoumaru must trust you, and from what I know of him, he does not trust anyone."

Kagome shrugged, neither confirming or denying what she wasn't sure of herself. "I came here on Sesshoumaru-sama's request," she said. "He must ask you to be the go-between with his brother."

"Surely, he can find Inuyasha on his own," Kikyo said.

"He says that he wants to do things properly this time," she answered. "No fighting. No insults."

Kikyo raised an eyebrow. "And do you trust his word this time? I know what happened."

Kagome gave a firm nod. "I trust Sesshoumaru-sama's intentions. And..." She paused.

"And?" prompted Kikyo.

"And he says that I may sing, if I wish," Kagome finished.


	25. Jewel

A/N: For the 'Transparent' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 1189 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 19, 2009.

* * *

**Jewel**

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Kagome, keeping her eyes on the white and red figures at the edge of the forest. They had been sitting there, in the shadows of the trees, since midday. Soon, it would be time to call them back for dinner.

Kikyo was more preoccupied with her sewing than the two brothers. "They have many matters to discuss," she replied, sparing them a glance. "Inuyasha was a child the last time he spoke with Lord Sesshoumaru, and I don't think he had the ability to ask what he truly wanted to know back then."

Kagome bent down over the miko's small vegetable patch and resumed pulling weeds. "Did you ever meet Inuyasha-sama's mother?"

"She died many years before I was born," Kikyo replied.

"Before you were _born_, Kikyo-sama?"

A small smile flickered over the priestess's face. "Inuyasha is almost two hundred years old."

Kagome sat back again, her eyes widening. "So old?"

"And Sesshoumaru-sama is older still. Inuyasha has told me that his half-brother looks the same now as he did when he was a child."

"But..." She stopped and turned back to the garden. "Never mind."

Kikyo set her sewing down on her lap. "You may ask."

"Will you die long before Inuyasha does, then?" Kagome murmured, lowering her eyes to the ground in front of Kikyo's seat.

"Yes," replied the miko shortly. She sighed, a flicker of pain passing over her features. "It's why demons and humans can never truly be together."

Kagome remembered the conversation she had had with Sesshoumaru - how hanyou had been born of such unions, forever left to wonder which world they belonged to. She hadn't thought that it would be equally difficult for those in love with a half-demon. "What will you do?" she asked quietly.

"What _can_ we do?" asked Kikyo, just as quiet but with a hopeless shrug.

"I'm sorry," said Kagome, turning her face away. "That was rude of me."

"At least you said it to my face with true concern, instead of behind my back with malice," replied the priestess without missing a beat. She met Kagome's brown eyes. "And what about you and Lord Sesshoumaru?"

She felt a blush steal across her cheeks. "I doubt that Sesshoumaru-sama feels a fraction of what Lord Inuyasha so clearly feels for you, Kikyo-sama. But it comes down to the same question," she murmured. "What can we do? I'm not just a human but a slave, too. What would I be to him? I think that I'm still a possession to my lord, even if I am a valued one."

Kikyo nodded. "It would be easier if they were human," she said, turning back to her work.

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha again. Even at this distance, she could see how ethereal he was - the sort of alien grace that was both dangerous and attractive. She couldn't change anything about him, even in her mind - he was too solid, too immutable. He wouldn't be Sesshoumaru if he were human, she decided. Out loud, she said, "Perhaps. Maybe we would have different problems."

"Husbands and wives should spend their lives together," Kikyo answered, "not just the wife's life."

The younger woman let out a soft sigh. "Sesshoumaru-sama would tire of me long before that," she said.

"You might not be giving him enough credit," said Kikyo, "but I suppose that you're the one he has to convince of his intentions. A man's heart is not transparent, unfortunately."

Kagome smiled. "I never thought that I could say this, but I don't think Sesshoumaru-sama knows what his intentions are when it comes to me."

Kikyo returned her amusement. "I'm sure you're right," she said as her gaze flickered past her. "You know, it looks like they might be done."

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were heading down the slope, side by side, with a civil distance separating them. Kagome's natural inclination was to look to the taiyoukai first, but his mask of indifference was firmly in place, forcing her to look to Inuyasha's face for any indication how the discussion had went. "They didn't fight," whispered Kagome, seeing his serious, but calm, expression.

"It's comforting to see that they aren't bleeding, at least," Kikyo replied, putting her sewing aside and getting to her feet.

"Did you discuss about everything you needed to, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked when the brothers approached.

"Keh, that would take years," muttered Inuyasha, crossing his arms.

Kikyo crossed over to the hanyou, stopping within touching distance. "But things went well?" she prodded.

He exchanged a flat look with Sesshoumaru and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess," he said. There was a short pause as the two women stared at their male counterparts. Inuyasha finally shifted his weight towards the hut. "Hey, I'm starving. There anything good to eat in there?"

"Of course. Will you join us for dinner, Lord Sesshoumaru?" asked Kikyo with a bow in his direction. "And Kagome?"

The younger woman looked to the taiyoukai to answer for the both of them. "We will," he murmured, inclining his head an inch or two. He met Kagome's eyes. "Do you wish to sing?"

Kagome smiled. "Of course, my lord."

"I have a biwa," Kikyo offered as they entered the little house.

"I cannot play an instrument," she said with a shake of her head. "But perhaps you could play - and sing - with me?"

The priestess shook her head as she retrieved the four-stringed, lute-like instrument from one of the wooden chests in the corner. "I don't think I could compare."

"It's more entertaining this way," said Kagome, smiling and settling herself next to the fire pit. "Let's try."

Kikyo conceded with a small nod and sat down beside her, the biwa across her lap. She suggested a common folk song that Kagome had sang many times in the fields, long before she had been captured and brought to Sesshoumaru. It was an easy song, one that even her grandfather had croaked out on occasion - it was an excellent warm-up to the variety of songs the young woman had in mind to sing for her lord and his brother throughout the evening. To her added delight, Kikyo played the biwa with practiced grace, as if she had been born with it in her hands, and with their combined efforts, the folk song became an aria within a verse.

"Sing with me, Kikyo-sama," insisted Kagome again, just before the second part. And, dutifully, Kikyo opened her mouth and sang.

Kagome almost fell silent in the same instant - despite Kikyo's half-hearted protests, her voice was the epitome of perfection. It was easy to hear that she had been just as well-trained in voice as she had been on the biwa, and her lovely soprano rose to the ceiling and beyond, filling the small hut with her lark-like voice. She was a jewel. Kagome let her own notes roll back and beneath Kikyo's, hiding them beneath the plucking of the biwa strings as a mixture of awe and fear surrounded her heart.

As the song came to an end, Kagome stole a glance at Sesshoumaru. He was entranced.


	26. Match

A/N: For the 'Sport' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 23, 2009. It won third place! :)

* * *

**Match**

She didn't want to think of it as a competition - Kikyo had been nothing but kind to her. She loved Inuyasha and had little interest in impressing Lord Sesshoumaru beyond what she could do to help repair the relationship between the half-brothers. It wasn't Kikyo's fault that she had a natural ability that rivaled her own, nor was it her fault that she had received vocal instruction as a part of her spiritual training.

But it was hard to suppress the jealousy when she thought of the expression on Lord Sesshoumaru's face when Kikyo sang. She tried to remember if she had ever received such a rapturous gaze when she performed for him. She was sure he had, but she hadn't appreciated it. She hadn't stored the memory of it away, to be pulled out and studied once he had lost his interest in her - something that she had always been convinced would happen and yet didn't prepare for.

Still, there was relief. Kikyo and Inuyasha had been left behind in the village that morning, and Kagome wouldn't have to think about the lovely miko and her even lovelier voice for quite awhile. If ever.

"Kagome." Sesshoumaru's voice cut through her musings. "You are falling behind."

She hurried her steps until she came even with the taiyoukai. "Sorry, my lord," she murmured. "I was just thinking."

His golden eyes slanted in her direction. "Of what?"

"How nice it was to meet your brother," she fudged. "His unusual choice in companion."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Indeed. A miko."

"Lady Kikyo is very generous of heart," Kagome added quickly, unwilling to let him think she had any ill will towards the priestess. "She obviously cares for him deeply, hanyou or not."

The taiyoukai remained silent for a few moments. "Yes," he agreed. "She seems to have tamed my uncultured half-brother. It is well that I extended the invitation to both of them."

Her heart stopped. "Invitation, my lord?"

"They will visit my lands in some weeks' time," he replied.

"It is wonderful that you have decided to see your brother again," Kagome murmured, her mouth going dry. She couldn't stop herself from adding, "And to hear another concert, I would imagine."

He nodded once. "It is expected. My entire court should hear both of you."

_And judge us both, as well_, Kagome surmised with a silent sigh. _Will this be a competition, after all?_


	27. Parallel

A/N: For the 'Strain' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on November 30, 2009.

* * *

**Parallel**

She slept peacefully, at least - a far cry from the strained anxiety she exuded in her waking hours these past few days. He glanced at the sleeping imp across the camp before studying her closer, as if her moment of relaxation could explain her downtrodden mood.

He wondered if his brother and the miko had caused this. He knew that his thoughts kept returning to the unsettling similarities between their unfulfilled relationship and his own with Kagome. Status, purpose and species divided each pair, with one difference - those obstacles were more pronounced between a taiyoukai and a slave.


	28. Protect

A/N: For the 'Trade' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on December 7, 2009.

* * *

**Protect**

"Why does Sesshoumaru-sama wear so much armor?" Kagome asked as she worried over their breakfast.

Jaken scowled. "We are in the wild, girl, complete with wild youkai that possess unrestrained blood lust and no common civility."

She shook her head. "We haven't seen _anything_ that would challenge Lord Sesshoumaru in the least."

"Of _course_ not!" huffed the imp. "As if anything could come close! But even if a demon out there could fight him, you'd never see it. Why do you think he's gone at this moment?"

The girl scanned the otherwise empty camp - Ah-Un had been taken along with the taiyoukai on his regular, morning walk. What she _thought_ was a walk. "Where is he?"

"Clearing the path of anything that could be dangerous to you," grumbled Jaken. "Apparently, he will not trade your life for a morning's peace."

Tentative warmth blossomed in her chest. "He's been doing that this entire time?"

"Lord Sesshoumaru does not commit to anything by halves," the servant returned waspishly.

Kagome thought of the evening on the clifftop, where Sesshoumaru had kissed her but promised only part of himself. She hoped Jaken's assertion was true for the taiyoukai's favorite possession, if not his potential mistress.


	29. Invasion

A/N: For the ' Pucker' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on December 14, 2009. It won third place! :)

* * *

**Invasion**

Dinner was done, and the fire was dying down to embers as the imp began to snore. Kagome had fallen silent, drowsy with the heat of the coals and the oppressive, summer air. Only Sesshoumaru stood at the edge of camp, looking out into the forest that surrounded them. "We must find something to shield us from the rain tomorrow," he murmured suddenly, startling her.

She sat up, drawing her blanket around her shoulders. "Rain bothers you, my lord?"

"No." He turned to look at her, his golden eyes flashing. "But it may harm your voice, and, soon enough, you will not be singing for me alone."

"Are we returning to court so soon?" Kagome asked.

Sesshoumaru drew a folded slip of paper from his sleeve, its wax seal broken.

"I can't read," she said immediately, blushing hotly.

He nodded once and sat beside her, his wrist resting on top of his knee. "It says that Naraku has been seen within my borders," he murmured. "He seems to be scouting for an attack. I must return to deal with it immediately." The paper in his hand puckered as he gripped it tightly. "I should leave you in a human village until it is over."

"Wouldn't I be safer with you?"

The surprise in his eyes was momentary - perhaps a trick of the firelight. "Perhaps," he intoned. "That depends on whether he seeks to destroy my kingdom or simply to break my will."

She studied his profile and the set of his shoulders. "And which one includes me, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He scowled, standing up and tossing the message into the fire. "It does not matter," the taiyoukai growled. "I will not be broken so easily as the fool believes." He glanced back at her. "Prepare yourself. We leave tomorrow at first light. By air."


	30. Return

A/N: For the 'Mesh' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on December 21, 2009. It won second place!

* * *

**Return**

Ah-Un landed in the courtyard, just inside the closed gates. The stable hands rushed to take the dragon's reins as Sesshoumaru turned to her, his dust cloud dissipating into the air. "You seem to have enjoyed the journey," he observed, taking in the sight of the smile on her wind-reddened face.

"Of course!" she replied. "Who wouldn't?"

Sesshoumaru eyed Jaken as the imp stumbled past them, muttering under his breath about nausea and crazed, two-headed dragons. "There are some that do not."

"But we were flying!" Kagome said, folding her hands over her heart. "I don't understand why anyone would travel any other way, if they had a choice. So clear and beautiful! I would never tire of it."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Ah-Un is available to take you whenever you wish," he said. "But only after this threat from Naraku has been resolved."

Kagome gave him a small smile. "Of course," she murmured. She glanced at the entrance of the palace, where a dozen of Sesshoumaru's military leaders were already waiting to brief him. "I don't expect I'll be seeing a lot of you, my lord. To sing for you, I mean."

"I will find some time," he murmured. He paused. "And my half-brother will be arriving soon. I am sure he would be glad to hear you again."

"But he..." She hesitated, lifted her hand to her mouth and took a couple steps back, shaking her head. "They are waiting for you, my lord."

The taiyoukai bit back a sigh, seeing the inevitable in her hunched shoulders. "They are," he agreed.

"But, before you leave..." Her words stopped him. "I would like you to know that I loved traveling with you, Lord Sesshoumaru. And the others, of course," she added hastily.

He looked back at the small crowd waiting on the stairs - the necessities of a life he despised. He had always preferred the solitude of the forest or, as he had recently discovered, the company of a single, rare creature. The freedom of his wanderings was behind him for another year, as was the chance to treat the girl beside him as anything but a slave. If war broke out, it was little chance he would have even that to look forward to. Deliberately or not, court life would tear apart what so tentatively meshed together in the country. "And I with you," he murmured, for her ears only.


	31. Converge

A/N: For the 'Sever' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on December 28, 2009.

* * *

**Converge**

Coming back to court and losing Sesshoumaru's constant presence made her feel as if someone had severed a limb from her body, right above the joint. Each time she saw him surrounded by courtiers, far from where she walked in the gardens, a phantom pain pierced through that missing piece of her.

They finally met in a doorway, alone. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she greeted breathlessly.

"Will you sing tonight?" he asked.

"Of course," Kagome whispered, her heart leaping. "Where? In your..."

"The great hall," he interrupted, averting his eyes from her blush. "You will be performing with the miko. Inuyasha has arrived."


	32. Switch

A/N: For the 'Petal' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on January 4, 2010. It tied for third place!

* * *

**Switch**

"He regards you highly," Kikyo murmured, studying the gift Sesshoumaru had given to his slave for the night's performance.

Kagome brushed her fingers over the petal-soft, silk kimono. It was the color of lilacs. "Yes, he is very generous," she agreed. "But I have never worn one with so many layers."

"I will help you," Kikyo offered, smoothing out the obi at the end of the futon. "Perhaps he will be moved to action by your beauty tonight." She paused and glanced at the younger woman, who was suddenly frowning. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want him moved by mere beauty," she admitted with a shake of her head. "I do not want to be his little pet any longer."

Kikyo watched her without judgment in her expression. "You want to be free."

The slave nodded. "Either at his side or not. Will you help me?"

"One of us should have what she wants," Kikyo said. "Of course, I will."

Kagome smiled. Whatever Sesshoumaru felt towards the miko - and she had to admit that she had no inkling of what those feelings were - Kikyo had no part in it. "Then, you will wear the kimono. You will be the jewel."


	33. Reason

A/N: For the 'Mutual' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on January 11, 2010.

I got a lovely piece of fanart for this story from Nysrina, for the chapter "Incentive" - dokuga [dot] com [slash ] gallery?func=detail&id=2284  
Thank you, hon! :D

* * *

**Reason**

"He's not going to like this."

Kikyo turned to see Inuyasha walking down the corridor towards her. "Kagome insisted," she said, smoothing her hands over the priceless kimono that had been meant as a gift for the slave girl. It was difficult not to revel in it - she had never worn something so luxurious. But Inuyasha appeared disapproving.

The hanyou circled her once before stopping in front of her. "It smells like him," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Does that mean Sesshoumaru picked it out himself?"

The half-demon shrugged. "Or he brought it to her himself," he said. "What is she up to?"

The miko took a deep breath. "I'm not exactly sure," she said, "but she thinks it will make her happy. One way or another, she wants to be free."

"And you're helping," said Inuyasha, shaking his head. "You shouldn't get mixed up in this, Kikyo. He's not just a bastard - he's powerful."

She nodded. "But don't you believe he cares for her?"

The hanyou frowned and reached out to touch her sleeve - the long, sweeping silk of a furisode, worn by unmarried women. "I think that if he really knew what he felt for her, this isn't what he would be giving to her to wear," he said. He paused. "You shouldn't be wearing this, either."

Kikyo drew away from him. "This was a mutual decision, Inuyasha," she murmured, lowering her eyes. "And this isn't the time to revisit it."

He swallowed and glanced away. "Yeah, I know," he said before clearing his throat. "But Kagome would marry him."

"In a second," the miko said, "if she believed that he loved her."

Something that Kikyo couldn't read flashed over his face. "So, why is she leaving, instead of finding that out?"

"Maybe it's the same thing for her," she said. "Sometimes, it takes awhile to realize where we're supposed to be. Sometimes, it takes leaving to realize it."

Inuyasha met her eyes. "And, sometimes, it doesn't," he muttered.

"Also true. Sometimes, you know without having to say anything at all."

He stepped closer to her again. "Also true," he echoed, weaving his claws through her hair. "But I _want_ to say that you look beautiful, just so you're sure," he added.

Kikyo expressed her thanks warmly, prompting a smile from the reticent hanyou. "What the hell," he muttered against her hair. "How can I help, too?"


	34. Ache

A/N: For the 'Grip' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on January 18, 2010.

* * *

**Ache**

She laid out the replacement kimono - dark green with an obi the color of midnight - where the gift from Sesshoumaru had been just a short time ago. She would be late if she tarried much longer, but dread continued to grip at her heart, no matter how many times she had tried to breathe deeply and tell herself this was for the best.

Her resolution had been wavering for not an hour, but for months. Every argument came down to one, immutable fact - she couldn't be his possession any longer. It had been suffocating her all this time, and it would kill her. The moment she had seen that purple kimono, Kagome knew. If he could dress her as he pleased, nothing could stop the downward slide. Soon, she would live by his word alone, and she would lose herself.

But it didn't mean that leaving would be painless. She still didn't know if she could manage it, despite the consequences of staying. She just hoped that he wouldn't touch her - that he wouldn't say her name with softness in his voice or promise her the impossible with gentleness in his golden eyes. That might kill her, too.


	35. Release

A/N: For the 'Popularity' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 1715 words - the longest one yet, I believe!

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on January 28, 2010. It won third place!

* * *

**Release**

He was fortunate that no one was looking at him when the two, human women came into the room for their performance. Anger, annoyance and even morbid enjoyment of the death of a foe were acceptable emotions from the taiyoukai - surprise was not.

She had denied him. _Again_.

The miko - his brother's beloved - wore the gift he had intended for Kagome. Kikyo shimmered in the purple kimono, drawing appreciative glances from every other male in the room and gasps of envy from the females. It had done precisely what he had wanted it to do - it had turned a pretty, human girl with a lovely voice into a goddess. Unfortunately, it was the wrong human girl that had used his gift so successfully.

Beside Kikyo, Kagome wore a kimono that seemed to have been specifically chosen to fade into the background. He knew what she would say, if he chose to question her about it - the miko was the guest, the trained singer, the one of importance. She had chosen not to see the message behind the gift - the mark of his highest favor. She _persisted_ in keeping at arm's length, and it was beginning to irritate him.

He had asked nothing of her this time - _nothing_ - and she had refused him anyway. Publicly.

The only thing that seemed to cut through his seething anger was the fact that she didn't seem to be able to meet his eyes. Kagome wasn't alone in her nervousness - even Kikyo's usual, cool demeanor seemed shaky as she bowed before the taiyoukai. "We would be pleased to sing for you, Lord Sesshoumaru," she said. Her eyes darted towards the downcast Kagome. "Shall I begin?"

If any other demon was looking at Kagome when she came in the room, he wasn't by the time Sesshoumaru had given his assent and Kikyo began to sing. The taiyoukai felt as if everyone else had become blind to him and the slave girl. Despite his anger, he kept watching her. In a moment, he became fixated on the need for some sign of true contrition - some sign that she regretted the action she knew would hurt him. He hated that she could do that to him, but if she felt some guilt, it would be easier for him to bear.

He was only shaken from his careful study of Kagome when the hall erupted in applause - Kikyo had finished her debut, and the taiyoukai hadn't heard a note of it. Excited whispers surrounded him. It seemed that Kikyo was an instant hit with his courtiers - he had to take a moment to wonder if the kimono had helped the popularity of a human girl among youkai and damned Kagome once again when he settled that it had. It would be _Kagome_ that the court appreciated so much if she had simply done as he wished!

"A duet! A duet between the two songbirds!" came the inevitable call.

Concern threatened to take place of his simmering anger as Kagome obediently moved to sit beside Kikyo. She looked so small and drab beside the brilliance of Kikyo, and he realized that their voices might be just as poor of a pairing. Kikyo's voice was beautiful and measured and even - everything that a trained singer's voice should be. But Kagome's was sweet and passionate and lyrical - she was innocent of a tutor's strict rules. In Kikyo's hut, the disparity had been negligible, but in the grand hall, Kagome was likely to be overpowered.

The duet itself only lasted a verse and a half. Kagome held her own more admirably than Sesshoumaru had expected, but the whispering of the courtiers was quickly more than he could bear. Just as he had not listened to Kikyo, they did not listen to Kagome. They only saw the miko and her pale imitation.

He got to his feet and all singing and murmurs came to a halt. "Lady Kikyo," he said, "please continue for my court's entertainment. I will return shortly."

As the door slid closed behind him, the music began again with the miko's voice alone. He could imagine Kagome sliding back into the crowd and letting the courtiers close in around her in their efforts to inch towards Kikyo. He didn't think it would take her long to follow him outside, but it surprised him when he heard her soft footfalls behind him in the corridor.

"You couldn't even bear to listen to me?" she asked, hurrying her pace when he opened to door to the garden. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He finally looked at her, seeing the desperation in her eyes. She was seriously damaging his ability to remain angry. "You misjudge my reasons," he murmured.

"I thought you'd be furious," she said.

"I did not say that I wasn't," Sesshoumaru replied with a frown, displeased that they weren't discussing this far from prying ears and eyes. At least the hallway seemed to be deserted for the moment. "You reject my favor at every opportunity."

Her eyebrows drew together, and the nervous desperation disappeared. "I don't mean any disrespect, my lord, but that kimono wasn't 'favor'. It was ornamentation for your favorite possession. If it was truly a gift to show your favor, it shouldn't be a problem that I passed it on to Kikyo-sama. Gifts belong to the one they are given to, don't they? If you were ordering me to wear it, you should have clarified."

"It is not just my favor you should seek!" he snapped. "It is the miko that enjoys the court's attentions now, not you. You threw away that opportunity for the sake of what? Proving that you don't like being a slave? Something that you have reminded me of on countless occasions?"

Her cheeks colored as she turned her eyes away. "Why should it matter what the court thinks of me _now_? I've been here for months."

Just as soon as he thought he had caught her, she had easily flipped him onto his back and made him vulnerable. Why _did_ it matter? "The will of the people," he said slowly, "informs the actions of the leader. I wish for you to stay." At least, it was true.

"I followed you to tell you that I want to leave," she murmured.

"I suspected as much," he replied. "What do you expect my answer will be?"

She moved her gaze from the blank, rice paper wall and back to his face. "You have never be called predictable, my lord," she said. "I don't know."

He nodded once. "Where would you go, if you achieved the seemingly impossible task of securing your freedom?"

"Home," Kagome said immediately. "I've missed my family, and they need me."

"And Naraku?" he asked, making her bite at her lip. "He is nearby, and he has taken an interest in you."

She took a deep breath. "Lord Inuyasha has agreed to escort me as far as I wish." She paused. "He's waiting for me by the back gate with my belongings. I only took one other kimono. The simplest one you gave to me. But I guess I've asked for a favor from him before I needed it."

"So, that is where that idiotic, mongrel of a..."

"_Please_," she interrupted.

He closed his eyes against the image of her twisting her hands together, anxious for his answer. "I meant to say that you can take whatever you wish. They were _gifts_," he said.

Kagome's brown eyes widened. The spark of hope was all that it took to destroy his willpower. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He didn't want to let her go. He wanted to fight - to win this argument. But he also knew that it didn't matter. She had broken him down just far enough that he would anything that she asked, except do the one thing that would let her stay. It was probably best that she leave, he knew. A human slave should never have this sort of power over a taiyoukai. "You are miserable here," he said, not able to stop himself from giving her another chance to change her mind.

"Not here," she whispered. "Not with you."

"With the _circumstances_ of your presence here," he corrected.

She sighed. "Yes."

He shook his head. "I make enemies suffer, not my own subjects. Not even my slaves." He took a step away from the still open door. "And so, you are free of those circumstances. Go and meet my half-brother."

Her mouth opened, but she seemed to have lost the words for a moment. "I thought you'd try to convince me," she said at last.

"Would you prefer to have to put forth all of your reasoning?" he said rather waspishly.

"No," she said quickly. "I just... well, I want you to understand why I have to leave. It's important to me that you do, my lord."

"The one thing we have never lacked is understanding of each other," he murmured.

Kagome gave him a faint smile, stepping closer to the door that led to her freedom. "I wish," she said, pausing in front of him, "that it could be different."

He wanted to reach out, take away the combs that held her hair and run his hands through the smooth, black strands. She would lean into his touch, he knew - she would lean into it, and she would never leave. But Sesshoumaru kept his hands at his sides.

"May I ask," she started again, "what it is that prevents it from being different? Is it because I'm human? Or because I'm a commoner?"

"Both," he replied truthfully.

"I thought so," she said with a nod. "There's not a lot we can do about that, then."

He expected a proper farewell, but she simply gave him a graceful bow and slipped out the door, threading her way through the flower beds with the assistance of the golden lanterns. Sesshoumaru could have stood on the threshold, watching her until she disappeared into the trees, but he forced himself to turn away and close the door with a snap of his wrist.

_Shut her out of your life_, he thought to himself. Even in his head, there was no conviction.

He had a feeling that he had not even begun to conceive of the depth of his loss.


	36. Loss

A/N: For the 'Rant' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on February 1, 2010.

* * *

**Loss**

Sometimes, he hated how right he could be.

The entire castle had gone quiet and cold in her absence - it was a wonder that no one else seemed to notice it. They didn't even feel how sluggish time had become, and how the simplest of tasks had become burdensome. Plans for war and even Kikyo's nightly concerts failed to ease his restlessness. He spent what little free time he had eschewing his entourage and wandering down to the cliffs that looked out over the sea.

He had never suffered a loss for which he had not been explicitly prepared - every child must expect a parent's death, and every warrior must anticipate the defeat of some of his strongest compatriots. But Kagome fit into no simple category. She was not just a slave. She was more than just a friend - although, admittedly, he had never had a friend. He had never had a female in his bed that mattered to him past dawn either, but if he had, Sesshoumaru could imagine that losing her would conjure a similar pain. But what did someone call a lover that had never touched them, save for one stolen kiss, far from his courtiers' watchful eyes?

It didn't matter.

The waves crashed into the cliffs far beneath his feet, ranting for him against the solid rock and immutable facts. She would _never_ come back. She was where she should be - where she wished to be. He and his kingdom were safer this way, too. He could never seek her out, even if he wanted to.

It was time to work to _redirect_ all those ridiculous urges to something tangible - _someone_ whose blood would run over his claws and make him feel as if he were Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, once again.

_Naraku._


	37. Home

A/N: For the 'Public' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on February 6, 2010.

* * *

**Home**

"Will you come with me?" she asked, her wide eyes fixed on the village just beyond the fields.

Inuyasha snorted. "I don't go out in public, if I can help it," he muttered, his dog ears twitching. "Your family is here, right? So, why are you nervous? You left him to get back."

Kagome bit her lip. "I did," she admitted. "But I don't know if I belong here either. Not anymore."

His ears flattened. "I'll wait til midday. In case."

"Thank you," she whispered with a smile, before stepping out from the shadows of the trees and towards her home.


	38. Choices

A/N: For the 'Stern' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on February 15, 2010. This one got my VERY FIRST first place on this comm! :D

* * *

**Choices**

She pushed aside the door flap and stepped into the tiny hut. "I'm home," she said, sliding the bag of rice from her shoulder to the floor.

Her mother looked up from where she was cooking dinner. "Oh, Kagome!" she cried. "You didn't!"

"Food is more important, and it was my kimono to sell," her daughter murmured for the hundredth time. "Where's Gramps?"

Her mother clucked her tongue. "Probably out trying to secure you a husband, using that kimono as a dowry."

"I still have the obi and the comb," Kagome said. "And I don't _want_ to get married. I left once, and my family nearly died from starvation. I'm not letting you depend on charity to survive again!"

"So proud. Where did you get that from?" admonished her mother, although there was soft gratitude in her eyes. "Someday, you will want to marry, and without something of value..."

"I know," she huffed. "Everyone thinks that my virtue was destroyed while I was gone, and the kimono's worth was how I'd overcome that. Gramps has given me that lecture _more_ than once."

The older woman shook her head. "He doesn't mean to be so stern. He feels guilty that you were taken, Kagome. He's trying to make it up to you with a good marriage. If you just told us what happened, maybe that would help."

Kagome gave her a wistful smile. "I don't think it would," she said. She would rather be the object of rumors instead of the victim of a confirmed relationship with a demon. The biggest gossips in the village hadn't even dreamed of _that_ possibility.

"Is there _anyone_ that you would accept?" pressed her mother.

Sesshoumaru appeared in her mind's eye, looking as perfect and unattainable as always. "That would also have me?" countered Kagome quietly. "No."


	39. Offer

A/N: For the 'Purse' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on February 21, 2010.

* * *

**Offer**

"I shouldn't have been so worried!" exclaimed her grandfather one evening. "The second son of the headman is quite a triumph!"

"Wait," began Kagome, her voice weak with shock.

Hojo - a kind, familiar boy that lacked nothing except strength and golden eyes - stepped towards her. "I know that you've already experienced so much," he said, "but I thought that we could have our own adventure." He sounded terrified at the thought. "We could build an inn. I have some money for us to start."

Kagome glanced at the small purse of coins he offered, understanding why her grandfather was so gleeful. "You don't want a dowry?"

"With your voice, Kagome, our inn will be the most successful in the valley." He paused and blushed. "Besides, _you_ were always the only wife I wanted."

She should have been smiling just as broadly as her grandfather and her mother were at that moment. Escaping a farmer's life was more than she could ever have expected with her tarnished reputation. And, more importantly, it would provide for her family. She had turned away from one path, after all - here was another.

Kagome looked up into Hojo's hopeful face and made her decision.


	40. Battle

A/N: For the 'Rainbow' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 1358 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on February 25, 2010.

* * *

**Battle**

The battles of demons were so much different than those of humans. Walls did not obstruct an army's way and weapons were not just carried on one's hip. A demon's strength alone rarely decided a fight - winners perfected the art of strategy. Sesshoumaru excelled at it. He enjoyed the challenge of plotting a quick and decisive strike for maximum damage to his opponent and minimal loss to himself.

Naraku, however, seemed to favor a war of attrition. For weeks, he had sent waves of weak raiding parties against Sesshoumaru's superior defenses, making the troops weary of fighting and lulling them into a false sense of security. And the absence of the few that Sesshoumaru had lost was keenly felt now that Naraku had unleashed his true power.

The gray sky had finally opened, as it had been threatening to do for days, and poured rain down on the two armies' heads. Flashes of green light marked Sesshoumaru's quick movement through the battle - where he had been, blood ran thicker than the water. He could smell purified flesh from where the miko and his half-brother were cutting their own, parallel path.

_"Why?" he questioned when they came to him with their request._

_"Because it is my duty," replied Kikyo. "And why would you turn away someone with my abilities when you're fighting demons?"_

_Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered towards the few courtiers still lingering after the meal. "They enjoy you as entertainment. When you take up arms against our kind..."_

_"I will not harm any of your soldiers," she swore, "but I will not allow Naraku to survive."_

_"Neither will I," growled the taiyoukai, his brow creasing with the implied possibility of his failure._

_She stood firm. "So, you shouldn't object to my presence. Just to make certain it is accomplished."_

_Sesshoumaru turned his gaze to his half-brother and frowned. "And you?"_

_"I stay with her," the hanyou muttered, clearly just as unhappy about it as the taiyoukai was. "Besides, if you die, I inherit this place, don't I?"_

_The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes. "That was what our father intended."_

_Inuyasha's ears flattened against his head. "Well, I'll pass on that, thanks. I don't want your life, just so we're clear. I'll fight to make sure that doesn't happen."_

_The dog demon considered the pair. They couldn't leave without being attacked by the raiding parties. If Inuyasha was truly a son of his father, he wouldn't be able to bear sitting in the castle while the battle raged anyway. And, although he would never admit it to the half-breed, Sesshoumaru needed the help._

_"Very well," he agreed.  
_  
It might have been a decision that evened the odds. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if it was widespread hatred of him or Naraku's promises of power and fresh flesh, but the spider demon had amassed a vast force. Naraku was trying to make up for a lack of strategy and training with sheer numbers, but not all of Sesshoumaru's soldiers had been battered into exhaustion. The miko cut through the weaklings with ease, and even Inuyasha was not a complete waste, although he lacked efficiency and grace.

When Naraku materialized, however, he showed nothing but his usual, cocky smirk - he never could resist gloating, even if he was at a disadvantage. "I see one human girl," he chuckled, pushing back the hood of his black-eyed, baboon pelt. "Where is yours, Sesshoumaru?"

The taiyoukai scowled and remained silent.

"You disappoint me, Sesshoumaru," the spider demon continued. "You've fallen, as your father did, to the charms of humanity. I wonder what endeared you so quickly is the same. Humans live such short lives. _Their _mistakes last only so long." His eyes moved to pin Inuyasha for a brief moment. "And we both know that you hate your time spent in this court. What's an endless life if it's spent in misery?"

"I find nothing redeeming in human lives," said Sesshoumaru, gripping his sword so tightly that the metal bit into his palm.

Naraku grinned. "So, it is only _her_ that you find so 'redeeming'," he mocked.

Sesshoumaru's response was a well-placed slash of his sword through the spider demon's gut. The two halves of the pelt separated and floated in the air as Naraku laughed. "And she left you," he went on. "Would you like to know how quickly she became a bride after you saw her last, Sesshoumaru? Would you like to know the name of the sweaty, fumbling farmer that she allows to put his hands on her?"

_"You shouldn't have let her go," muttered Inuyasha, right after he had returned from escorting Kagome back to her village._

_"She did not wish to stay," answered Sesshoumaru shortly._

_His half-brother sighed. "But she would have, if you'd just own up to having some actual feelings for her," he said, sounding more weary than angry. "And now, you've ruined her. She's going back to her dull, little life to marry and have a pack of kids. That is, if she's lucky."_

_The taiyoukai sent him a sharp glance. "What do you mean?"_

_"You might not be familiar with humans, but _I_ am," said Inuyasha. "Someone showing up back home after being kidnapped? That's bound to start rumors going. And her family will be forced to do the only thing they _can_ do to preserve their reputation - they're going to marry her off to the first, half-decent guy that comes along. That way, she's a nice wife and mother instead of the freak." His ears twitched. "Believe me. I know how it goes."_

Sesshoumaru twisted his wrist, splitting Naraku's face in two. "You will not speak of her," he growled.

A broken, wooden figurine fell to the ground as Inuyasha approached. He was bleeding heavily from a puncture wound to his shoulder. Kikyo followed close behind, looking worried. "Another of those fucking puppets?" the hanyou muttered. "We just got through with another one over there. Who knows where the real one went. I thought I caught a scent, but it's gone."

The miko glanced at the taiyoukai's face. "He was taunting us," she said.

"Hn." He turned to look at the battlefield, where the two armies still fought, oblivious to their leaders' encounter. The sun was beginning to peek through the clouds, and the rain had turned to mist, turning pink where it mixed with the sprays of blood. Droplets of water settled on the taiyoukai's eyelashes, refracting the sunlight into dozens of tiny rainbows across his vision. "He is still taunting us," he said at last, shaking his head to clear it.

"With what?" muttered Inuyasha. "Still being alive?"

He tossed a scathing look in his half-brother's direction. "With Kagome. He wanted to be certain I knew that he had not forgotten her."

"You think he has her?" Kikyo asked.

"No, but he wants me to make sure of it," Sesshoumaru guessed.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "He wants to lure you away from here - probably into a trap. No matter how many battles he wins, he won't get your land without defeating _you_."

"And you, little brother," added the taiyoukai.

"Hey, I _told_ you..."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, but if he destroys us both, the West will fall. If he can't win in a fair fight," he said, watching the battle again, "he will win it by whatever means necessary. My army will win this battle, but I would have to leave them here to keep guard and to recuperate. I would be alone."

"So, easy. Don't go," said the hanyou. "If you're not there, you can't get caught."

The taiyoukai took a breath. "He knows that I will and that I must," he said. "If I do not go, he will take her anyway. He will bring her here, along with the trap he has planned. He has taken away all choices but one - where he will die. I will not be distracted by puppets again."

Kikyo almost smiled. "Which path do you choose, then?" she asked.

The dog demon lifted his chin. "He will not touch her," Sesshoumaru said, his voice thick with dark promise. "I will go to there. Let him spring his trap, if he dares."


	41. Crash

A/N: For the 'Red' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 1, 2010.

* * *

**Crash**

Her grandfather's preaching about the duty of daughters and the excellent choice of Hojo buzzed in Kagome's ears as they ate. "I know," she muttered automatically when he paused.

It took a moment to realize why he had stopped mid-sentence.

"Demon!" came a cry. "Demon! Run!"

Her family paled and began to scramble. Only Kagome smiled and got to her feet, crossing to the entrance in three, confident strides. _Sesshoumaru_, she thought as she pushed aside the mat that covered the door.

She met the paralyzing stare of red eyes instead.

"Expecting someone else?" laughed Naraku as he reached for her.


	42. Spiderweb

A/N: For the 'Glomp' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 8, 2010.

* * *

**Spiderweb**

She cried out in pain as one of Naraku buried his long fingers into her shoulder, forcing her to her knees.

"I wonder if he'll hear your cries or smell your blood first?" he asked, giving her a cold smile.

Kagome clamped her mouth shut, tensing the muscles of her jaw as the spider demon twisted his claws in the wound. When she felt steady enough, she whispered, "Sesshoumaru will kill you."

Naraku's smile broadened. "With what? I have you, after all. And them." He gestured to the funnel of spiderwebs that surrounded them, dotted with his waiting soldiers, as well as a number of glistening cocoons. Where the sun was directly behind them, Kagome could see the shadowy figures of her fellow villagers, quiet and still inside the silk wrappings. "If he attacks, he risks their lives as well."

"Sesshoumaru doesn't care about humans," Kagome murmured.

"He cares about _you_, you stupid girl," corrected the spider. "Do you really think he would slaughter your family and friends in front of your eyes?"

She fell silent, momentarily torn until reason took hold. _What do you expect?_ she asked herself. _Did you expect to glomp onto him as soon as he showed up so that he could act as a holy warrior against this monster? He has his own sins and his own darkness._

"He _will_ kill you," she said again, loudly and without a tremble in her voice, despite the blood flowing down her arm. "And if he will kill them, too, if it means saving everyone _else_ from you. And I'd forgive him for it in a moment."

Naraku's eyes narrowed. "Bind and gag her," he ordered one of his soldiers, before he leaned in, putting his lips next to her ear. "We'll see how forgiving you truly are."


	43. Shred

A/N: For the 'Second Thoughts' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 1828 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 11, 2010. I tweaked a couple words at the end there - I agonized over the ending up until the absolute last minute. I'm still not entirely happy with it, but happier at least. I wanted this to be about twice the length, spanning over two one-shots, or at least a one-shot and a drabble, but it wasn't working. *headdesk* Oh well.

* * *

**Shred**

Inuyasha scowled at the crystalline funnel of spiderwebs that spiraled down from the heavens. "Well, at least he moved to the field," he muttered. "Nothing is under there but a lot of rice paddies. Nowhere for Naraku's minions to hide. Of course, that means we don't have _any_ element of surprise."

"I don't think we were ever going to surprise him," murmured Kikyo.

The hanyou shrugged. "But if he's ready for us, where is _she_?" he asked, glancing at his half-brother. "You'd think he'd dangle her out in front of you."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed. "She is there," he said.

"You can sense her?"

"No," said the taiyoukai, "but Naraku would never turn down the opportunity to taunt me."

"I'm sure she's fine," Kikyo assured, revealing that her thoughts were running alongside his own - Naraku could just as easily mock Sesshoumaru with a corpse as a living, breathing girl. "If she wasn't, he'd lose his leverage. He knows what you'd do."

The taiyoukai took a breath, keeping his expression neutral. The fact that he had made this trip proved that Kagome was more than just a slave - a _former_ slave, even - and he felt uncomfortable with the miko's implications. He would not lose control, no matter what happened in that field. He would defeat Naraku because it was necessary - Kagome's survival would be a welcome bonus. She had left him, after all.

"So," began Inuyasha, "do we have a plan?"

Sesshoumaru drew his sword. "Kill everyone that is not Kagome."

Kikyo's alarm must have been great - she reached out to grasp at his sleeve. "Or human," she insisted. She and Sesshoumaru both glanced down at where her fingers were curled into his silk kimono, and the miko dropped her hand but not her plea. "There are no villagers there," she continued, pointing to the desolate group of huts, dwarfed by the massive spiderweb. "Naraku must have them. With Kagome."

"Hn. I will attempt restraint," the taiyoukai said, "but saving humans is _not _my priority. Not even Kagome. Not if it stops Naraku."

The miko did not even pause to be properly aghast at his suggestion. "That's his aim," she observed. "He's going to make you have second thoughts about that resolve of yours, Lord Sesshoumaru. Don't play into it. _Decide_ to save her now."

But the dog demon was already moving out of the protective shadows and into the field, moving straight for the small gap in the webbed trap. He grasped as his self-discipline, hammered into him by tutor after tutor in his youth, and he froze his heart, something he had learned to do on his own long ago. Neither comforted him as they had in the past, but he steeled himself as best as he could. If it came down to a choice between Kagome and his kingdom, she would understand why he had to save the one that he did.

The sun was setting, casting an orange glow on the dense weave of the webs. As he passed through the entrance to the funnel, Sesshoumaru ran the edge of his sword along the strands, but the tensile lengths only folded under the pressure. It was a solid structure - like normal spider webs, far stronger than the thin strands seemed to be - and he was very aware of whom Naraku intended to capture in it.

"I was beginning to wonder where you were, Sesshoumaru," called Naraku, standing at the opposite side of the cavernous web. "But I see why you took so long. You brought your little brother."

Sesshoumaru ignored the insult - if he had stood steady while his allies had mocked him for having a hanyou sibling, an enemy's words would certainly not bother him. Instead, he took in his surroundings, counting the number of Naraku's minions that were tethered to the web above him.

"The villagers," he heard Kikyo whisper behind him.

She had been right - they were here, inside the silk cocoons that flanked every one of Naraku's soldiers. They were being used as shields, the taiyoukai realized. An ill-timed attack could bring the whole web down and kill every single human, and he was certain that Kagome was hidden among them. _Clever_, he thought to himself, _but flawed_.

"Tell me where she is," said Sesshoumaru aloud, "or I will assume that you do not have her here at all."

Naraku's lips flickered with a smirk. "Will you take that chance?" he asked.

"I will," countered the taiyoukai immediately.

"But you haven't even heard my terms," said Naraku smoothly, his red eyes flashing. "The girl lives if you agree." He grinned fully. "You don't, of course. I couldn't risk your inevitable, valiant attempt to retake your lands. But she does. And I'll even consider letting some of the villagers live, too. The ones that haven't been liquefied inside the cocoons, of course. The more quickly you agree, the more likely you'll be saving your Kagome's beloved. Her _human_ beloved."

Sesshoumaru glared, his hand tightening around the hilt of his blade.

"She'll remember you fondly for it, I'm sure," Naraku added. He paused and cocked his head. "Or will you become her tyrant again and insist that no one may have her but you?"

"Don't listen to the bastard," growled Inuyasha. "Just kill him."

Naraku chuckled. "Please, try."

Sesshoumaru decided - he dropped his blade and flexed his claws. "Miko, practice your craft," he whispered, before sparing a glance for his half-brother. "And you. Do not fail me."

Inuyasha's golden eyes sparked with realization. "'Course not. I'll find her."

"Foolish decision, dog," growled Naraku as Sesshoumaru faced him again. He nodded at the dog demon's hands, which were already glowing. "My venom is far more potent than yours."

Sesshoumaru lunged, his claws leaving acidic green arcs in the air that were almost immediately swallowed by the thick, purple smoke conjured by the spider demon.

"Careful!" mocked Naraku's disembodied voice, just as the taiyoukai reached the wall of webs. Two cocoons were inches from his feet, already melting from the combination of Sesshoumaru's venom and the spider demon's miasma. The dog demon could hear the drugged cries of humans - he could see how they began to shift as their occupants struggled into terrifying wakefulness.

He felt the sizzle of one of Kikyo's purifying arrows going through the enclosed space as he turned back around and saw how dangerous this would become for all involved very soon. Caution must be balanced with quick, devastating blows - it was the only way.

As if to underscore the need to resolve the battle quickly, one of the cocoons behind him disintegrated, spilling a screaming human onto the earth, along with the fluids that had already been leeched from him. Blood mixed with poison sloshed up against the back of Sesshoumaru's boots as the screaming quieted into a low keen of death.

"Accept the terms, dog," snarled Naraku from somewhere to his right.

His clothing was already smoking in the toxic atmosphere. Sesshoumaru itched to find his sword, but held back as he followed the strongest trail of Naraku's stench. The miasma was filling the funnel, blocking any clear views of the webs, but he could hear Inuyasha's curses as he fought smaller spiders. Kikyo was still here too, although the sharp sting of her powers on his skin was already weakening - Inuyasha would leave off of his appointed task to rescue her soon.

"I will die for her," answered Sesshoumaru, "but not for you, too."

Naraku materialized in front of him. "It's the same thing," he laughed.

The dog demon struck, a long, whip of green poison snapping out of his fingertip and towards the spider to hit him across the chest. Naraku continued to laugh as he was catapulted back, directly towards a wall of cocoons.

With a growl of frustration, Sesshoumaru wrapped his poison whip around the spider's ankle, pulling him back from the trapped humans and the startling impact Naraku would have had.

"You _have_ grown soft," Naraku accused as he got to his feet again. "And I only needed a moment more."

He knew he shouldn't have taken the bait, but Sesshoumaru followed the flick of Naraku's eyes, up to the apex of the funnel. Vaguely, he heard Inuyasha shouting in the background, but it was the cocoon falling apart so far above him that grabbed his attention instead. Kagome was hanging there, desperately grasping at the shredding webs that had held her. She was gagged and bleeding, and her bound hands could do nothing but scramble for purchase as her feet dangled a hundred feet above the ground.

The heart that he had tried to freeze into submission jumped to Sesshoumaru's throat. But he had turned his back on his enemy, breaking the first rule his tutors had taught him all those years ago. Skeins of webbing constricted around the dog demon's chest as he tried to leap for the imperiled girl. "You can watch from here," whispered Naraku.

The pressure of the sharp silken threads - like wire cutting into his flesh - felt like little compared to the plea he could imagine Kagome crying out in her head. His eyes began to fade from gold to red, his entire field of vision going blank in the face of the imminent loss. His prized control was slipping, and he turned his face towards the spider, so that he could remove his head with the first bite of the teeth that were sharpening in his jaw.

Naraku laughed. "The webs will only break if I _wish_ them to break," he said, and Sesshoumaru was dimly aware of the wetness of blood that began to blossom over his body.

"Or if _I_ do."

A blazing pink light separated the dog and the spider, snapping every thread with a sharp note of protest. Sesshoumaru stumbled as Naraku turned to find the figure of Kikyo in the murky cloud of miasma.

There was another flash, but of red and black.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened just when Naraku's did, as the sword that the taiyoukai had discarded was plunged through the back of the spider demon's neck. The shining silver blade pushed through his throat, just above his collar bone. As Naraku collapsed, his assassin was revealed.

"Kagome," murmured the dog demon. He stumbled again and looked down, realizing how heavily he was bleeding. He was cut to ribbons. "You fell."

She was at his side in a moment - moving so fast that he could have sworn she was a demon. "Inuyasha caught me," she said, looking back to where the hanyou and miko were finishing off the spider. "I know you would have though." She smiled at him.

"Yes." His brain was still trying to catch up with what he had seen. "How did you..."

Her smile widened, and he noticed that the miasma was clearing from the air. "For you, of course," she said. "Now, rest for _me_."

He didn't have much choice.


	44. Dream

A/N: For the 'Crazy' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 15, 2010. It won first place! :D

* * *

**Dream**

He walked through the inky darkness, trying to ignore the whispers. No one was within sight, and the words were shapeless, but every voice stabbed at him and pressed down upon his heart.

"They are reminding you of your good and bad acts in life," said a clear baritone. "I am sorry to say that one outnumbers the other by far."

Sesshoumaru glanced up. His father stood on one side, proud and tall with hair so silver that it hurt his eyes, and Naraku stood on his left, shuddering with evil laughter, despite the sword that was wedged through his throat. Sesshoumaru frowned at them. "Am I also dead?" he asked, standing straighter as the voices eased to a dull roar.

"Soon," whispered Naraku with a smile.

"Nothing is decided," corrected his father smoothly.

The younger dog demon shook his head. "I am dreaming, then."

"Or you've gone mad," suggested the spider demon.

His father sighed. "The dreamworld is the border between death and life."

The taiyoukai shook his head. "I am not afraid of death or of Hell," he said, "but the timing is inconvenient."

"Isn't it always?" snarled Naraku.

"You are dying," said his father, "because, for a moment, you cared more about that human girl than you did about yourself. There is redemption in that act. Possibly redemption from the fate that has been waiting for you for so long."

"You don't deserve this," spat the spider demon. "Take it while you still can and avoid Hell."

Sesshoumaru scowled. "I will not die to please you," he snapped. He looked at his father. "Or to ease your own burden for your son's sins."

His father shrugged thoughtfully. "Go back, and you risk everything."

"Then, I will," he declared, narrowing his golden eyes. "One note of hers could erase it all again."

The elder taiyoukai smiled as Naraku and the hum of voices faded. "It could," he agreed. "So, this is your path? You would go back to a human girl of no standing or fortune?"

Sesshoumaru regarded the other dog demon. "I would."

"And if she does not want you?"

He hadn't considered the possibility. "Then, I will endeavor to make myself worthy," he answered simply.

His father looked pleased. "The truth - both with yourself and with her - is always a good place to begin," he said, as Kagome's singing filled Sesshoumaru's head and eased him to wakefulness.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, so trippy much? LoL. There's a whole scene in the original tale where Death comes to sit on the Emperor's chest, mocking him with memories of his good and evil deeds. That bit left such a deep impression on me - mostly of terror, lol - that I couldn't leave it out with this version. So all props for the weirdness go to Hans Christian Andersen. All failures in conveying the strangeness of deciding between life and death are mine.


	45. Recover

A/N: For the 'Neck' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 100 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 22, 2010. It won fourth place, which is awarded when there are more than 15 entries! :)

* * *

**Recover**

She sang quietly as Kikyo slept off the effects of Naraku's poison and Inuyasha dozed in the tree. The miasma had clouded her voice too - Kagome hoped that it wasn't permanent.

She rolled her neck, lifting her eyes to the dark sky. "I wish you'd wake up, Sesshoumaru."

"Hn," came the answer. "You are no longer _required_ to sing for me."

Kagome smiled. "Well, you're still hurt," she said, her fingers ghosting over his bandaged wounds. "I suppose I can indulge you until morning."

"And beyond that?" he asked unexpectedly.

She took a breath to steady herself. "I wish I knew."


	46. Confront

A/N: For the 'Crutch' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on March 29, 2010.

* * *

**Confront**

She stood in the middle of the path, grasping the medicinal supplies she had come to fetch and watching the villagers as they converged.

"Get rid of that monster!" one shouted. "He's already brought evil upon us!"

"What happens when he grows hungry?" shrieked a woman, clutching her child.

Kagome frowned. "He was hurt trying to save us. He's not in the village, as you demanded, and he won't harm you! Let me tend to him in peace."

"We never had this sort of trouble _before_," growled a man nearby.

A weight draped across her shoulders, and the villagers took a collective step backwards. Kagome looked up into the face of her taiyoukai, surprised at his closeness. But when she noticed his quick breath and felt his fingers tighten on her shoulder, she realized he was using her as a crutch. It must have taken most of his restored energy to come to her side. "I will leave when my business here has concluded," he intoned, menacing without trying.

"Kagome?" Hojo emerged from the crowd, looking bewildered. "Is this demon's business with you?"

She tripped over her tongue as Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes in recognition. "And with _you_, human," he said.


	47. Negotiate

A/N: For the 'Blue' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on April 5, 2010. This part tied for second place! :D

Also, this story won FIRST place in the Feudal Association March 2010 awards in the Best Romance - Other category. This is quite a shock, as I didn't think anyone even knew me over on that site. :P Thank you so very much!

* * *

**Negotiate**

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow as his brother came back into camp with not one human in tow, but three. "Oi, Sesshoumaru," he muttered. "What's this?"

Something that almost looked like pain flickered across the taiyoukai's face - although the hanyou wasn't sure whether it was from his lingering injuries or the two males that stood on either side of Kagome. "This is Kagome's grandfather," Sesshoumaru replied, "and her..." He trailed off and frowned.

"Betrothed," offered Kagome softly. "This is Hojo."

The corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth twitched downwards. "These are the men I must negotiate with," he said in a tight voice.

Inuyasha heard Kagome let out a small sigh, and he scowled as he stepped closer to his brother. "Are you nuts?" he muttered. "You're _negotiating_ for her?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "These matters must be settled."

"Yeah?" bit out Inuyasha. "You know what would help with that? Making sure she wants you at all. Does she even know what you're here for? That you aren't dragging her back to the West as a slave again?"

The taiyoukai blinked. "I came for her. I saved her."

Kikyo spoke up, taking pity. "Sesshoumaru-sama, women like to be _told_," she said. "Kagome seems rather blue. She might be uncertain of your intentions."

They glanced at the girl, still standing between the old man and the hapless youth. She looked miserable. Inuyasha could hear the breath Sesshoumaru took as he made his decision. "Kagome," he said, "we must speak first."

She gave him a faint smile, as her two escorts blanched. "Wait a minute!" protested her grandfather.

"I think," said Inuyasha, planting himself between the men and the retreating couple, "we should leave them to it."

They silently stared back at him with a mixture of fear and derision.

"This should be fun," Kikyo remarked.


	48. Enjoy

A/N: For the 'Beginner's Luck' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 1168 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on April 8, 2010.

* * *

**Enjoy**

They stared at one another for a long, uncomfortable moment. Between the villagers' continuing fear of him and his injuries, he and Kagome had had little opportunity to discuss anything of worth. He didn't know what Inuyasha had told her while he had been unconscious, if anything. Normally, the scent of a human told him everything they felt, but all he could sense from her was uncertainty, multi-layered and shifting with every word he said.

In the end, it was Kagome that broke the silence. "Thank you for humoring my grandfather," she murmured. "I know you don't want him here, but you have to understand that he just wishes the best for me."

"In his opinion," replied Sesshoumaru.

She sent him a sharp look. "Yes, it seems like everyone wants to make decisions for me."

The taiyoukai's jaw tightened. "I was not trying to imply that I have never done so," he said, "but your freedom does not begin and end with me."

Color spread across her cheeks. "I don't have total freedom," she whispered.

"Yes," he muttered. "You are promised to that simpering boy."

"He's _not_ simpering," Kagome protested, straightening a little. "He's very nice. More than that - he's good to me. And he always has been."

Another barb slung at him - a lesser demon would have winced. "You would marry a man simply because he is 'nice'?" asked Sesshoumaru. "That has no merit in this world and in these times. He cannot protect you."

"No one can," she said. Her scent was rapidly shifting to one of deep annoyance. "Not even you, Sesshoumaru-sama. What he _can _do is make sure that he never hurts me. Hojo isn't capable of it."

"Whereas I am?"

She leveled a steely gaze at him. "Whereas you have," she corrected.

There was another silence - colder and humming with tension. "Are you here to take me back to the West?" Kagome asked.

"I said that I would not make your decisions for you any longer," Sesshoumaru replied. "That was the meaning behind your release from my service."

She sat down heavily and looked down at her folded hands. "Even if I wanted to," she said, "I _am_ betrothed to Hojo. He doesn't deserve to be spurned by any woman, much less by me. He says he loves me. That he always has."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you require a declaration of love?"

"From you?" She shook her head. "Of course not. I don't know if the great Lord Sesshoumaru could love me. Not the way a boy like Hojo does. I accept that. I just don't know whether it matters."

"What do you require?" he asked.

She bit her lip. "I once told you that I wanted your enjoyment of me, not just unwilling your need of me. You have so much pride, my lord, and that is part of what I admire most about you. Don't you need humility to admit that you want a human peasant though? You would never say it if it wasn't true, and I never want to force you into dishonesty. Especially not with yourself." She took a breath. "It's not fair to require anything of you. I couldn't take it anyway."

He reached out, firmly taking her by the wrists and pulling her to her feet. "What I require of _you_ is to pretend that you are not promised to anyone," he said, his voice low and ever-so-slightly strained. "And I _require_ that you not compare my past actions to what you believe your future with that boy could be. You would never be happy with him, Kagome."

The woman gave him a wide-eyed look. "I never said I would," she admitted. "But what do I have to judge you by _except_ your past actions? What do I have to weigh them against except the belief that Hojo will be a good and kind husband? I might not be happy with him, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I would be content."

The taiyoukai loosened his hold on her and straightened. "You would not want me to lie to you or to myself," he murmured, "but you do trust my word."

She sighed. "I always have."

He dipped his head down to the curve of her neck, breathing in her scent. "Listen to this Sesshoumaru's word then," he growled softly. "Even if you require nothing of me, I give it all freely. Everything that I have."

Kagome gave a half-hearted twist. "Sesshoumaru," she began.

"Do you think I have ever said so much to a woman, human or demon, my equal or not?" he asked, and she stilled again. He could feel her pulse fluttering beneath his lips. "I do need you _because_ I enjoy you. I have lived without it for my entire life, and I will not relinquish it to a boy with foolish dreams of a dull, domestic bliss that will never be realized."

She relaxed completely within his possessive embrace. "You enjoy me?"

He pulled away, closing his eyes for a moment to regain his senses. "Require what you will of me. I do not need anything but your presence, because, yes, it is my one, unblemished joy. Even that I am willing to forfeit for your sake."

Kagome curled her small fingers around his. "Only my presence?" she murmured. "That's all you want?"

"What I _want_," he said, "is a different question entirely. I would be satisfied if you returned as not a slave, but the court's singer. You will decide when you perform and where. I will give you a title, if you wish."

"I don't," she said. "Are you really willing to give up so much control for me though?"

He looked down at her and saw the skepticism still in her eyes. "This is not madness," he answered. "It is what I have long decided on giving to you, if you wanted it. I simply did not express it until now. I have never said such things before. It took some time and incessant prodding from certain parties to come to this."

"Perhaps a little madness from holding it in so long," she suggested with a soft smile. "Beginner's luck, though. You've done wonderfully."

Sesshoumaru cocked his head. "You are convinced to look beyond my past errors?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. I'll come back with you."

He felt her hands squeeze around his. "Then, I have come to an agreement with the only one whose opinion I sought."

"It'll be hard to break it to my grandfather that I'm not marrying the headman's second son," she said with a soft breath. "And I'd like to talk to Hojo about it myself."

The taiyoukai nodded. "You will speak with the boy," he agreed. "I will discuss the matter with the old man."

She laughed lightly. The uncertainty had disappeared from her scent. "Without violence, please, Sesshoumaru."

It was the second time she had dropped his title. It felt almost as warm as her touch. "I will not break my word," he replied.


	49. Sweet

A/N: For the 'Flute' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 300 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on April 12, 2010.

* * *

**Sweet**

Hojo sat down at the base of a tree and plucked at the grass as Kagome tried not to pace. "Hojo," she began.

"You're leaving with him," he said.

She blinked - Sesshoumaru had called him a 'simpering boy', but the the look of determined acceptance in his eyes told her that there was more strength in Hojo than _anyone_ would have believed. "It's not so scandalous as that," she murmured, realizing that it would be _precisely_ that scandalous for the demon-fearing villagers of her childhood home. She sighed. "You don't deserve to be mixed up in this."

He shrugged. "I wanted you to have the chance to be good and respectable." He glanced up at her. "And normal. But I guess you never were considered 'normal'. Not by any of those gossips in the village."

Kagome knelt in front of him. "It was sweet of you to try to save me, Hojo."

"But you don't want saving," he finished.

She bowed her head, cut deep by his gentleness. "I'm so sorry."

"It's a good thing," he said thoughtfully, surprising her again. "You figured out what you really wanted, right? You'll be content with a demon?"

"I think it's a matter of not being happy without him," Kagome whispered. "It's not the same now, even if nothing has changed around me."

He nodded. "I think my adventure was meant to stay closer to home." He smiled at her. "Perhaps I'll open that inn, anyway. My sister could cook. A couple of the village girls can play the flute for entertainment. No one could measure up to your singing."

"You're too good, Hojo."

The young man blushed, and the Hojo she had known all her life returned. "I just want you to be happy and healthy, Kagome."

She could answer honestly. "I will."


	50. Condition

A/N: For the 'Bury' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 400 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on April 19, 2010. It won first place! :D

* * *

**Condition**

If Sesshoumaru had thought that admitting to Kagome that he wanted her to stay with him was difficult, convincing her grandfather to accept it was impossible.

"My granddaughter knows better than to believe a monster like you," sniffed the old man. "She makes _smart_ decisions! And the smart decision is to marry Hojo."

The taiyoukai resisted the overwhelming urge to bury his claws into the geezer's throat. "You value the boy for his standing in this village as the second son of the headman," he said. "I am the first son and the ruler of a kingdom that dwarfs any human territory. There would be no female in Japan with greater standing than Kagome would have at my side."

"With demons! How can having the respect of demons be better?"

He didn't even know where to _start_ with that one. So, he deflected. "She will be provided with the finest clothes and food. She will have freedom and protection. Kagome will want for nothing."

Unfortunately, Kagome's grandfather was on a roll. "And what of us? Her family? Have you even considered the shame this would bring down on our heads?" he huffed. "Getting kidnapped is one thing! Choosing to leave with some male _demon_ is another matter entirely!"

"Oh, good grief," muttered Inuyasha under his breath.

Sesshoumaru, however, narrowed his eyes in consideration. "You assume you will receive nothing for Kagome's choice of me?" he asked.

"Well, I..." The old man stopped and met the taiyoukai's gaze with a lift of his white brow. "She's my only granddaughter, after all."

"I will require nothing of you," he said. "Kagome would be free to send you anything that you require, including food and money. And you will have a tie to a powerful kingdom." He took a steadying breath and tried not to grit his teeth. "You could even take up residence in the West, if your family wished."

The other man lifted his chin, and Sesshoumaru saw the interested gleam in his eye. "You can't buy us. And as if anyone else in my family would have anything to do with you and your castle of demons!" He paused. "_But_, I suppose that we could part with our beloved Kagome, if you did one thing."

"And what," asked Sesshoumaru, "is that?"

"Marry Kagome!" announced her grandfather, pointing an arthritic finger at him.

Behind him, Inuyasha let out a bark of laughter.


	51. Proposal

A/N: For the 'Billow' theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - 200 words, no more no less. The next part of the serial "The Nightingale".

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Originally posted on April 26, 2010.

When there's fluff, you know things are drawing to an end. And indeed, this is officially the last drabble of the series! I'll write another one-shot to tie up a few loose ends and then, _The Nightingale_ will be finished. :)

**Proposal**

"You don't have to marry me," Kagome said. They stood at the edge of the forest, watching the clouds of smoke billowing over the village as dinners were prepared. "I don't care what my grandfather demands. We're not doing anything improper if I move to your castle as your court singer."

Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. "The rumors of indecency will always follow us."

She looked at him. "Are you changing your mind?" she asked, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

"No," he intoned. "This Sesshoumaru is not so capricious. I am merely considering the proposition."

"You already have me," she whispered. "_I_ don't demand any more from you, and I don't care what they say." She paused and edged closer to him, reaching out with her fingertips to trace the magenta strips on his wrists and smiling as he gave a tiny shudder in return. "But you said that what you need and what you want were different things."

He nodded. "I did."

"And this?" Kagome asked, her eyes going wide and brilliant. "Is this what you want with me, a human? A former slave girl?"

It only took a single nod to send her, laughing, into his arms.


	52. The End

A/N: For the 'For Keeps theme on Dokuga's LJ comm - this was for the one-shot contest, so there was only a minimum of 500 words. This one is 773 words.

All due recognition to Hans Christian Anderson for the inspiration.

Here it is! The final chapter of this story. :D I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for all the comments and support!

Originally posted on May 6, 2010. In one last, fantastic hurrah, this won FIRST place! Woot!

**The End**

The guests were few but honored - not for their political or social standing, but for being true friends. The bride smiled and laughed as the feast was laid out and instrumentalists took their places. And while the groom was quiet and sat stiffly in his formal kimono, a touch or a glance from his new wife would cause his shoulders to relax and even a smile to turn up the corners of his mouth.

Kagome wrapped her arm around her husband's as they sat at the long, low table closest to the newlyweds. "It was nice of you to pay for the wedding, Sesshoumaru."

He glanced at the groom. "I did not have much of a choice," the taiyoukai murmured. "As my half-brother, there is a certain amount of ceremony that must be observed at his wedding."

"A year ago, you wouldn't have even come here at all," she said.

"A year ago," he countered, "you had not yet forced me to..."

"Admit that good people can come from low places?" Kagome interrupted.

He gave her an admonishing scowl, which made her laugh. "To reevaluate my ideas about who is and who is not worthy to share in my life," he finished.

She smiled at him. "It's a lot to change in just a year," she said. "You _didn't_ have to do this, but I'm glad you did. Kikyo looks radiant."

They looked at the former miko, still wearing brilliant red, but embroidered in gold and silk thread. Kagome had caught her fellow singer looking with some longing at the shrine maidens that had served the sake during the ceremony, but it paled in comparison to the joy that was on her face now. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see her like this," she whispered. "When we met, she thought Inuyasha would never marry her. She was so ready to accept that."

"Fear is something that should be defeated, not conceded to," murmured Sesshoumaru. "They could have done so earlier."

Kagome studied his serious profile. "I don't fault them for that. Do you?"

He let out a long breath. "No."

She knew that he only feared one thing these days - her inevitable death. She was so _human_, as he would sometimes say. It wasn't an insult - Kagome thought that he might be reminding himself of that fact instead. He could protect her from anything but time. Eventually, she would leave him, although she personally planned to give one hell of a fight first. His fear was losing her, but her fear was leaving him to lose himself, too.

"I'm afraid it's a human frailty to fear the unknown," she continued. "And some never go away. You just decide to go ahead despite them. But sometimes, that's enough, don't you think?"

Sesshoumaru turned to look at her. "Courage has its own rewards," he said.

She nodded in agreement. "There are things to look forward to. Things that could almost erase the fears entirely," she murmured, sliding a hand over her abdomen, covered in layers of expensive silk.

"Almost," Sesshoumaru replied.

Kagome took a deep breath and smiled, trying to expel every dark thought. She might leave him, but she wouldn't leave him alone. She rubbed at her still flat stomach once more. "Did I tell you that Hojo is getting married?" she asked brightly. "My family - including the two of us - have been invited. We haven't visited the village in awhile."

"Now, _there_ is something to fear," the taiyoukai muttered, prompting her to laugh again.

"Kagome?" The Lady of the West looked up at the small platform where Inuyasha and Kikyo sat. The former miko pressed her hands over her heart and smiled. "Will you sing for us?" she asked.

"Gladly," said Kagome, approaching the dais and sitting before it. "Do you want anything in particular?"

Kikyo gestured to the musicians to relax. "Just you, sister. Whatever you wish."

The younger woman bowed deeply. Her song was new, unheard by everyone until the moment she open her mouth. It was one that had been months in the making - even Kagome hadn't realized it, but it came easily now. Her voice rose and fell as she sang with such beauty that no one could remember the words or the notes, except for the warmth that filled them when they listened. It was a song of home and love and how unexpectedly each could come to someone.

And when she finished and returned to her seat, there was only reverent silence, soft smiles and several tears in the eyes of the guests. Only Sesshoumaru moved to take her hand. "Precisely," he said, "my nightingale."


End file.
